The treatment regimen you and your doctor select to fight your cancer will be based on your individual needs and the type of cancer you have. You may experience some side effects or none at all. It is important to speak with your doctor or nurse before your treatment begins about what side effects you might expect and how to best handle them.
Not only can side effects cause discomfort and unpleasantness, and sometimes serious complications, they can also prevent your health care team from delivering the prescribed dose of therapy at the specific time and schedule of the treatment plan. Receiving treatments on schedule is important to achieving the best treatment outcome. For this reason, it is also important to let your doctor or nurse know about any unusual symptoms or feelings you may be experiencing.
Here is a list of suggested questions to ask your doctor about the side effects of treatment:
What possible side effects should I prepare for?
When might they start?
- Will they get better or worse as my treatment goes along?
- How can I prepare for them or lessen their impact?
- Are there treatments that can help relieve the side effects? What are they? Do you usually recommend or prescribe them?
- Which risks are most serious?
- Will I require blood transfusions? Why?
- How can I best monitor myself for complications related to either my disease or my treatment?