Chemotherapy for breast cancer: What to expect during treatment

Your oncologist may recommend chemotherapy as part of your treatment for breast cancer. This video explains what to expect during your course, including how it is delivered, common side effects and how your team will support you. Chemotherapy is most often given as an outpatient at a hospital day unit or clinic. My patients also have the option of treatment at home, which some prefer for convenience. Most chemotherapy drugs are delivered through a drip into a vein; while some are taken as tablets. Each session usually lasts a few hours, depending on the drugs used and any breaks needed. Chemotherapy is given in cycles, with treatment followed by rest periods, allowing your body to recover between doses. The full course is usually spread across several months and is closely monitored by your team. Chemotherapy can cause side effects that vary with the drugs used. Common ones include tiredness; hair changes; nausea; insomnia; and temporary immune suppression - which makes you more susceptible to infections. Side effects often peak in the days after each cycle, and usually ease before the next. Your team will help you manage them throughout treatment; so please tell us how you are feeling at each visit. Some chemotherapy drugs, particularly anthracyclines and anti-HER2 treatments, can affect the heart over time. Your team will check your heart function before, during and after treatment. Staying physically active, eating well and not smoking can all help support your heart, and your recovery. Decisions about chemotherapy are personalised and made together with you. To talk through what to expect, or anything you are experiencing; please get in touch with my team.