Chemotherapy drugs often have a damaging effect on normal cells while killing tumor cells. This makes many patients fearful of talking about chemotherapy. In fact, chemotherapy is not a beast, and breast cancer patients can handle chemotherapy with ease if they are well prepared.
Prepare your mind for chemotherapy side effects
Doctors often individualize chemotherapy regimens based on the patient’s health and personal wishes about side effects. Therefore, before receiving treatment, you should give your doctor a thorough understanding of your body and tell him or her how well you accept different side effects, which will help him or her choose a regimen and make it easier for you to accept the possible side effects if they are expected accordingly. As a patient, you also need to understand that your doctor will usually have the appropriate treatment for the side effects of chemotherapy, and that you can prevent or mitigate them by changing your diet and lifestyle accordingly.
With a proper understanding of the side effects of chemotherapy and its prevention and treatment, there is no need to be afraid of chemotherapy, which is not as scary as it is said to be.
Rationalizing the treatment schedule
Usually, breast cancer chemotherapy infusions take 4 to 6 hours. There are a few exceptions to this rule: a 3-day infusion with a regimen of cisplatin and a 2-day infusion with vincristine. Usually, local patients can have chemotherapy as an outpatient, while out-of-town and some local patients with special circumstances can be hospitalized for chemotherapy. Usually, the first step is to complete the necessary tests before chemotherapy, and the chemotherapy will take half a day on the next day, and the patient can be discharged home the afternoon of the chemotherapy.
Rationalizing the diet
Usually intravenous chemotherapy requires fasting, so fasting for 3 hours before chemotherapy is necessary to ensure that the food has been largely digested and emptied by the time chemotherapy is completed, and dinner is eaten later after chemotherapy to reduce nausea and vomiting. On the day of chemotherapy, it is recommended to eat high-calorie, high-protein, easy-to-digest breakfast in the morning, pay attention to the color and aroma of the dishes, ensure sufficient protein intake, eat more fruits and vegetables, and pay attention to the diet. The amount of activity after breakfast is good for gastrointestinal tract activity and emptying, which can reduce the gastrointestinal response after chemotherapy.
If you are taking oral chemotherapy drugs, it is better to take them half an hour after a meal, so that you are already fasting when the blood concentration reaches its peak, and the gastrointestinal reaction will be lighter.
Consider PICC placement
The first question to face regarding chemotherapy is whether to bury the tube, i.e., to place a central venous line (PICC) via peripheral venous puncture. Because the peripheral vasculature is so thin and some chemotherapy drugs are so corrosive, there is a risk of extravasation when infused through the peripheral vasculature. Thus, such a catheter was invented to puncture from the peripheral vein and deliver the catheter to the superior vena cava near the heart, which not only reduces the pain caused by repeated venipuncture, but more importantly, allows the drug to be infused in the central vein with high blood flow and fast flow rate, avoiding damage to the blood vessels due to long-term infusion or infusion of hypertonic and irritating drugs, effectively improving the quality of life. Therefore, PICC placement is recommended for those who require chemotherapy. However, it is important to understand that care should also be taken during indwelling PICC placement. For PICC-related questions, consult your healthcare provider.
Adjustment of mental state
First of all, understand the medication of this chemotherapy according to your disease condition and be aware of it.
To understand the general knowledge of chemotherapy and avoid psychological tension, you can relax with doing qigong, listening to music, etc. to eliminate tension.
Ensure that you get enough sleep before chemotherapy, with at least 8 hours of sleep.
Perfect examination before chemotherapy
Pathological examination will be performed before chemotherapy to determine the type of tumor cells is the first priority, as well as some blood biochemistry, routine blood tests, liver and kidney function tests, and cardiac function evaluation if anthracycline chemotherapy is required.
The efficacy of chemotherapy depends on the resistance of breast cancer to chemotherapy drugs, so those who are able to do so can undergo genetic testing for chemosensitivity and resistance, which can guide the physician in administering precise chemotherapy.
Arrange for accompaniment
Given that patients tolerate each chemotherapy treatment differently, it is recommended that at least one close family member accompany the patient to support successful completion of treatment. For those preparing for outpatient treatment, accommodation near the hospital during treatment is recommended to reduce physical exertion from daily travel and to reduce the chance of infection by providing relatively private space for patients and reducing time spent in crowded public places.