Chemotherapy Before, During, and After
A patient planning worksheet
Remember that every person’s lung cancer
and treatment plan can vary. Consult with
your doctor about your treatment plan and
what you might expect.
What to expect before treatment
Before starting chemo, your doctor will explain the type of
chemotherapy drugs that will be used and put together a
treatment schedule that’s best for you. It is important to
make sure you understand your insurance coverage, and
Pre-treatment checklist: any co-pay amounts that will be required.
□□ Understand insurance coverage Chemo is often given in cycles, so you may have a few
□□ Make dental appointment weeks of treatment followed by a break to let your body
□□ Arrange for transportation to and from treatment rest. Your doctor will also advise you on what to eat and
□□ Talk with your doctor about palliative care drink before treatment. Chemo is often accompanied by
□□ Set up help at home with chores and errands side effects so medication might be recommended to help.
□□ Make accommodations for time off work This is also a good time to talk with your doctor about a
□□ Fill any prescriptions needed to help with possible plan for managing any side effects you might experience.
side effects This type of care is sometimes called palliative, or
□□ Ask about the amenities in your treatment facility supportive care, because it is focused on helping to ease
□□ Follow all directions from your doctor possible discomfort from lung cancer treatment.
There are many things you might do to prepare for
Items you may want to bring treatment. Ask your doctor if you should consider a dental
to chemotherapy: appointment, as sometimes chemo can cause mouth
sores or dry mouth. Another common side effect may be
□□ Layers of comfortable clothing that make it easy to fatigue. Once you know your treatment schedule, arrange
access your vein or port for help with transportation, other errands and make
□□ A blanket, pillow, socks accommodations at your employment for needed time
□□ Snacks and drinks if permitted off. Sometimes this may be covered under short term
□□ Books, music, tablet, laptop (*ask if the facility has WiFi) disability or Family Medical Leave.
□□ Small craft projects
□□ Hard candies to help with nausea and dry mouth Your comfort is important during chemo. Find out what
□□ A friend or loved one is provided for you in the treatment room before you get
there like blankets, WiFi and television. Ask if you can
bring a friend or family member with you.
1-800-LUNGUSA | LUNG.org
Chemotherapy Before, During, and After
A patient planning worksheet
What to expect during treatment
There are two main methods of administering
chemotherapy. Some chemo drugs are given orally, but the
most common method is by intravenous, or IV, injection,
RX
RX over a period of time.
RX
RX If your medication is oral, you will go to the pharmacy
and pick it up. In addition to information you receive from
your doctor about your chemo, your pharmacist is also a
great resource. The package insert that comes with the
drug can be very detailed and your pharmacist can help
Questions for your care team: explain it.
□□ What side effects might I experience and what can I do If your treatment is intravenous, you will have an IV
to relieve them? inserted into your arm. Some people choose to undergo
□□ Should I eat a special diet during treatment? surgery before chemo begins to insert a port, or a little
□□ Is there anything I should avoid after treatment? plastic disk, that can be used as the entry site for the
□□ Who do I contact if I have any questions? medication. This eliminates the need to find
a vein each time.
Name:
On the day of treatment, a health professional will likely
Phone: check your vital signs, and take your height and weight
in order to calculate the appropriate dose of chemo. You
Email: may also have your blood drawn to see if you are well
enough to receive chemo that day.
List your own questions here: Often your treatment includes pre-chemotherapy
medications to help with possible side effects. These
drugs may make you sleepy, so be sure to arrange for
someone else to drive you home.
During the actual treatment, you will just be sitting. That’s
why it is good to bring activities to help pass the time.
A nurse will check on you throughout chemo to see how
you are doing.
1-800-LUNGUSA | LUNG.org
Chemotherapy Before, During, and After
A patient planning worksheet
What to expect after treatment
After a session of chemotherapy is over, the IV catheter
will be removed and your vital signs checked. If you
have an implantable port, it will stay in for all of your
chemotherapy sessions.
Your oncologist and/or nurse will review possible side
effects and tips to help manage them. These tips are
also good to keep in mind for people receiving
chemotherapy orally. Some other things to talk to
your doctor about include:
• Should I avoid interacting with crowds or children
while I am receiving chemotherapy?
• What should I eat or drink after treatment?
• Should I take any precautions after chemotherapy?
For example, flushing the toilet twice after use is
a good way to make sure no one around you is
Contact information in case of exposed to chemo agents that may remain in your
questions or emergency: system after treatment.
Name: Before you leave, ask who you should call if you have
any questions or concerns. And remember, it’s important
Phone: to talk to your doctor about any questions you may have,
including any potential side effects you are experiencing
Email: as soon as they start.
For more information please visit
www.MyLungCancerSupport.org or
call Lung Helpline at 1-800-LUNGUSA
1-800-LUNGUSA | LUNG.org
