Chemotherapy Service

Chemotherapy is given for different reasons:

• It can be given because it is the best way to get rid of the cancer 
• It can be given because other treatments are not enough on their own to get rid of the cancer
• It can be given to help you live longer
• It can also be given to manage and palliative symptoms

There are lots of different types of chemotherapy drugs. The drugs travel through the body in your blood.
They work by damaging the cancer cells so that they can not spread and make more cancer cells.

The drugs can also kill some of the healthy cells in your body. But healthy cells can usually mend
themselves and get back to normal after a short time. The effects of the drugs on healthy cells can
cause side effects like tiredness or feeling sick. Some people will only have a few side effects and others may have more.

Your doctor will tell you when you will need treatment. Some people have treatment for a few weeks and other people might need to have treatment for a few months. People usually have some treatments and then have a break from the treatments.

Over the time you are having chemotherapy your doctor will keep checking to see how the treatment is working. They might then change your treatment.

Usually people come to the hospital for treatment and then go home the same day.

24 - 48 hours prior to each chemotherapy treatment you will need to have a blood test in order to do this you need to book via this telephone number 01484 355765 to arrange for your bloods taking. The appointment can be at either Huddersfield Royal Infirmary or Calderdale Royal Hospital.

If you are a patient from Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust you can have your pre-treatment bloods taken at your local hospital (Pontefract 01977 747130 or Dewsbury 01924 512244 contact them to arrange an appointment). You will be given a blood form from the Chemotherapy Nurse at CHFT to take with you.

When you arrive please ask the nurses to validate your parking stay.

Chemotherapy treatment can be given in different ways. The two main ways that chemotherapy is
given are:
Tablets or capsules. 
Your doctor or nurse will tell you how many tablets to take and how often to take them.

It is very important you know when to take your tablets. You may need support with this.

By injection
This means putting the drugs into your blood through your skin using a needle. There are different
places on your body that the drugs can be injected into. You will usually have to have lots of treatments,
so the nurse will put a small tube under your skin that stays there all the way through your
treatment. This is called a portacath it makes it easier to give you the drugs without having to give
you lots of injections.

General Advice

Your oral chemotherapy tablets or capsules will be clearly labelled with instructions on how and when to take your medicine. If you have any queries, or are unsure how or when to take your oral chemotherapy please contact your chemotherapy unit or pharmacy for advice.

Oral chemotherapy has side effects, it is important that you know what they can be and how to manage them. Each chemotherapy drug has its own patient information leaflet which you should refer to.

How do I handle oral chemotherapy safely?

· Try to make sure that you are the only person who touches your chemotherapy tablets or capsules. If you have someone who helps you take your chemotherapy medicines they should wear disposable gloves (available from your chemotherapy unit) when doing so.

· Pregnant or breastfeeding women must not handle oral chemotherapy.

· Do not break or crush tablets, or open capsules. If you are having difficulty swallowing your medicine please contact the pharmacy for advice .

· Keep your chemotherapy in a safe place, refrigerate if instructed to do so and always keep out of the reach of children or pets.

· If you need to dispose of any tablets please return them to any pharmacy ,do not put in the dustbin.

What happens if I am sick or forget to take a dose?

· Do not take an extra tablet without discussing with your doctor.

· If you forget a dose carry on taking the normal dose when the next dose is due.

· Do not double-up doses or take extra doses to make up for the missed dose; Inform your doctor or chemotherapy unit.

How do I obtain further supplies?

Your GP will not be able to give you a prescription for oral chemotherapy. Further supplies are only available from your hospital doctor, not from your GP. It is important that your GP does not duplicate the supply as this can lead to serious side-effects if an incorrect dose is taken.

Please ensure that you ring the chemotherapy helpline on 01422 222999 if you are experiencing any side effects and feel unwell.

When you contact the helpline – you will be greeted by an acute oncology nurse/health care assistant. Who will ask you questions regarding how you have been feeling.

Please note – the helpline is based in Huddersfield (although the number shows as Halifax).

If you ring the helpline and there is no answer, please leave your full name, date of birth, hospital number and a telephone number for the team to contact you back. We aim to respond to all messages in a timely manner.

Most times, we can advise you over the telephone, however it may be that you need to attend hospital to be reviewed in person by the specialist doctor/nurse.

In this case you will be asked to attend ward 12 at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
You’ll be seen by a nurse who will take your observations and a blood test. Then be reviewed by a doctor.

Although we aim to discharge most of our patient who attend the helpline – there may be a situation that you may need to be admitted into hospital. In this case we always advise for you to bring in an overnight bag and current medication.