For most people the side effects were worst in the first few days after treatment, then they gradually felt better until the next treatment. Some said the effects were worse with each successive treatment. Most side effects don't persist and disappear within a few weeks after the end of treatment.
The effects of chemo are cumulative. They get worse with each cycle. My doctors warned me: Each infusion will get harder. Each cycle, expect to feel weaker.
Around the third day following a chemotherapy treatment, some people may experience flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches and pains. If you experience these aches, you can take over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol or Advil. If necessary, contact your doctor for stronger medication.
Most people say it takes 6 to 12 months after they finish chemotherapy before they truly feel like themselves again. Read the resource Managing Cognitive Changes for more information about managing chemo brain.
Most types of pain related to chemotherapy get better or go away between individual treatments. However, nerve damage often gets worse with each dose. Sometimes the drug causing the nerve damage has to be stopped.
Short, planned delays in chemotherapy for good-risk GCT patients (less than or equal to 7 days per cycle) appear to be acceptable since they may prevent serious toxicity in this curable patient population. Delays of longer than 7 days are strongly discouraged except in extraordinary life-threatening circumstances.
Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy may all cause fatigue. You may experience fatigue if cancer treatment damages healthy cells in addition to the cancer cells. Or fatigue might happen as your body works to repair damage caused by treatment.
Feeling tired and lacking energy. Feeling tired and lacking energy (fatigue) is the most common side effect of chemotherapy. Fatigue can include feeling exhausted, drowsy, confused or impatient. You may have a heavy feeling in your limbs, get worn out quickly, or find it difficult to do daily activities.
Your course of chemotherapy
Each cycle of TC takes 21 days (3 weeks). On the first day of each cycle, you will have docetaxel and cyclophosphamide. You will then have no chemotherapy for the next 20 days. At the end of the 21 days, you will start your second cycle of TC. You will usually have up to 4 cycles.
Most people have ups and downs during treatment, but support is available. Some people find they can lead an almost normal life during chemotherapy. But others find everyday life more difficult. You may feel unwell during and shortly after each treatment but recover quickly between treatments.
You might notice an improvement in cancer symptoms, such as less pain, reduced lymph node swelling, and improved energy levels. If you use topical chemotherapy on skin lesions, the area might feel irritated and look red and swollen for the first few weeks. These are all signs that chemotherapy is working.
Fatigue caused by chemotherapy may last for some weeks or months after a treatment cycle ends. Many people find that their energy levels return to normal within 6–12 months of treatment ending. While fatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy, it can also be a symptom of depression.
You may have treatments every week or every 2, 3 or 4 weeks. How often you have treatment also depends on which drugs you are having, as well as your treatment plan. When you have chemotherapy through an infusion pump, you may have the drugs: all the time for a few months (continuous administration)
In summary, Weekly paclitaxel treatment demonstrates better PFS and fewer chemotherapy-induced hematological and non-hematological toxicities compared to the three-week paclitaxel regimen.
Some chemotherapy drugs can cause painful side effects, such as aching in the muscles and joints, headaches and stomach pains. Pain may be felt as burning, numbness, tingling or shooting pains in the hands and feet (called peripheral nerve damage). This type of pain can last long after treatment ends.
Check with your care team, but generally speaking if you're not fasting for CT exams or other specific reasons, and you are feeling well, it's okay to eat before you come in for that first infusion.
Plan to get at least seven hours of sleep every night. To optimize your chances at getting good sleep, practice healthy sleep habits: Avoid caffeine for at least eight hours before bedtime. Stick to a regular sleep schedule.
Trouble sleeping is common during and after cancer treatment. Good sleep habits can help. Sleep allows your body to refresh, replenish, and rebuild. It helps your immune system work better and keeps you mentally sharp.
A full night's sleep is vital for anyone who has had chemotherapy. Patients should get at least eight hours of sleep if possible. To help sleep throughout the night, recovering patients should not consume beverages or food high in caffeine at least eight hours before retiring for the night.
Chemotherapy can be dehydrating. Drinking plenty of water before and after treatment helps your body process chemotherapy drugs and flush the excess out of your system.
Doctors usually give these drugs with breaks, so you have time to rest and recover before the next treatment. This lets your healthy cells heal. For example, you might get a dose of chemotherapy on the first day and then have 3 weeks of recovery time before repeating the treatment.
'Patients who received chemotherapy every two weeks were 17% less likely to have disease recurrence and 15% less likely to die from breast cancer within 10 years, compared with those who received treatment every three weeks.