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 Appointments
After watching the video, we want to hear about your experience with the information in it. Clicking on this link will allow you to complete a short survey. Any feedback you share helps us improve how we give you and other patients information about your care and treatment. Your feedback remains anonymous. - VIDEO: What to Expect for Your Appointment With the Cancer Centre Pharmacist
- Making Decisions for Your Care and Treatment
- Preparing for Conversations about My Care
- How to Manage Your Systemic Therapy Treatment Appointments
- Increasing your fluid intake
- How to complete the Your Symptoms Matter questionnaire
- What to do if you have a fever
- Your Central Venous Access Device (PORT)
- Having your PORT removed
- Having your PICC removed
- Systemic therapy with an infusor bottle
- Oral anti-cancer medication
- Safety at home when you are on systemic therapy
- VIDEO: Safety at home when you are on systemic therapy treatment
- Safety at home if you have a systemic therapy spill
- VIDEO: What is immunotherapy
- Understanding your blood counts
- Having bloodwork at a community lab
Managing the side effects of your treatment
- After Hours Symptom Management Support
- Managing nausea and vomiting
- Managing diarrhea
- Management of constipation
- Management of shortness of breath
- Managing heartburn/gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
- Mouth care during cancer treatment
- Hand and foot syndrome
- 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.