Preparing for Your First Anti-Cancer Treatment Appointment Smilow Cancer Hospital •
There is no special preparation before your treatment appointments. You can eat, drink fluids and take your daily medications as you normally would, even the morning of treatment.
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Because you don't know how your body will react to the different medications, it is a good idea to have someone drive you to and from your first treatment. There are no restrictions on the number of visitors you bring to your appointments.
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The infusion area has snacks and beverages. Feel free to bring your own food in a cooler if you have specific food/drink items that you would like to have during treatment. There is a microwave to heat up any food that you bring in from home. Please note that food cannot be stored in the refrigerator in the infusion area. All infusion chairs are recliners. There is a TV and free WIFI available for each patient. There may be more than one person receiving treatment in the same room. There are curtains separating each patient for privacy.
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You will be sitting in the treatment area for an extended period of time, so it is important to be comfortable. It is a good idea to wear a top with a loose-fitted neckline, V-neck or button down to allow for easy access to your port-a-cath. If you are receiving treatment with a peripheral IV or a PICC line in your arm, it may be a good idea to layer your clothing, wear a short sleeve shirt or make sure that sleeves are loose enough to pull up past your PICC line or IV.
Blood Work You will be scheduled for blood work before every treatment. The results of your blood work will determine whether or not you will be cleared for your treatment. Depending on the results of your blood tests, your doctor or nurse practitioner may recommend delaying your treatment or using specific medications to improve your blood counts. Treatment Once you've been cleared by your doctor or nurse practitioner to receive treatment, you will be directed to your infusion chair. Once you arrive to your infusion chair, your nurse will order your treatment medications from the pharmacy. Once the treatment medications are received, your nurse may administer steroids, anti-nausea medications and/or anxiety medications. After medications are infused, treatment will be started. The length of treatment depends on which treatment is prescribed to you. Once your infusion is complete, your IV access will be flushed, removed or de-accessed. Some treatments require you to go home with a pump to infuse one of the treatment medications over a few days. If this applies to you, you will receive additional education and information regarding this pump. For a more in-depth explanation about what happens during your treatment infusion, you can refer to the treatment video that will be sent through MyChart. Preparing for Your First Treatment
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