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Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a type of medicine that kills cancer cells. This treatment can be used to:

  • try to cure the cancer completely
  • help make other treatments work better, such as combining it with radiotherapy or using it before surgery
  • ease your symptoms and slow the spread of the cancer
  • make the cancer less likely to return after surgery or radiotherapy.

You can have chemotherapy by mouth or by injection into a vein (intravenously). You have blood tests before chemotherapy to check your health and make sure you can cope with any side effects

You usually have a course of treatment over a number of days or weeks and we monitor you very closely during this time. This will mean that you need to come into hospital for the treatment but then go home again the same day.

Certain chemotherapy drugs can cause side effects. These may be mild and easily treated with other medications or treatments. We will ensure you get all the support you need to cope with the effects of your treatment

Our Chemotherapy Day Unit is on the first floor of Cheyne Wing.

Go to www.nhs.uk for more information about chemotherapy.