Systemic Therapy Patient Education
Not all of the information in the handouts below will apply to you. Your doctor or nurse will tell you what information you need to read about your care and treatment. This information does not replace the information given to you by your doctor or nurse.
Your systemic therapy treatment
- VIDEO: What to Expect for Your Systemic Therapy Appointment
- VIDEO: Safety at home when you are on systemic therapy treatment and handout Safety at home when you are on systemic therapy
- VIDEO: What to expect for your appointment with the cancer centre pharmacist
- VIDEO: What is immunotherapy
- Immunotherapy medications: what you need to know
- Treating cancer with chemotherapy and immunotherapy: what you need to know
- Oral anti-cancer medication
- Having intraperitoneal therapy
- How to manage your systemic therapy treatment appointments
- Increasing your fluid intake
- How to complete the Your Symptoms Matter questionnaire
- Your Central Venous Access Device (PORT)
- Having your PORT removed
- Having your PICC removed
- Systemic therapy with an infusor bottle
- Receiving chemotherapy at home with an Ambulatory Infusion Pump
- Safety at home if you have a systemic therapy spill
- Understanding your blood counts
- Having bloodwork at a community lab
Managing the side effects of your treatment
- After hours symptom management support
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Hand and foot syndrome
- Heartburn/gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
- Low platelets
- Mouth care
- Nausea and vomiting
- Neutropenia
- Shortness of breath
- What you need to know about an extravasation
- Wigs and other head coverings
Cancer Care Ontario has more information on how to manage symptoms (like pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, etc.). Please talk with your doctor or nurse if you have any of these side effects.