Precautions for chemotherapy patients

  Nowadays, more and more tumor patients are receiving chemotherapy in various protocols. In fact, there are some issues that need to be paid attention to during the process of receiving chemotherapy.  The sweat glands and body fluids excreted by patients receiving chemotherapy will bring out toxic excess chemotherapy drugs, and these toxic substances stained on clothes can easily pose harm to family members who take care of the patients. In European countries, it is common knowledge among chemotherapy patients and their families that chemotherapy patients’ clothes, especially underwear, should be washed separately, women undergoing chemotherapy should not breastfeed their children, couples should use condoms, and chemotherapy patients’ clothes, such as slippers, should be stored separately, said the director of the Glioma Treatment Center at Beijing Tiantan Hospital. Dr. Sun said that chemotherapy drugs themselves will inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and also have toxic effects on other normal proliferating cells in the body such as bone marrow cells, which can also be toxic to normal cells in the body due to its ability to disrupt DNA synthesis. Dr. Sun made an analogy that the chemotherapy drugs that adhere to clothing with sweat glands and body fluids during chemotherapy treatment are similar to the hazards of pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables.  Current chemotherapy drugs are administered orally and intravenously, and treatment is primarily inpatient chemotherapy, followed by outpatient chemotherapy and home chemotherapy. Regardless of the form, chemotherapy patients and family members in close contact, should pay attention to the towels used by patients should be washed at all times, diligently change underwear for patients, wash patients underwear, especially underwear to have a special basin, in the case of conditions, the best after washing intimate clothing in a sunny place to dry. Chemotherapy patients returning home and patients undergoing chemotherapy at home should bathe and change their clothes, including bedding, diligently.