By Lisa Lowry, RN BSN and Katey Lalley, RN BSN
With the development of more oral chemotherapy drugs, patients now have more freedom in their treatment regimen. An oral chemotherapy drug is one that is taken by mouth and is as strong as other forms of chemotherapy and works just as well. Oral drugs eliminate the need for needle sticks, while ensuring less time in the clinic, less time away from work and family, and fewer interruptions in daily life. Yet, it is still necessary to stay in contact with your physician’s office and go to regular follow-up appointments. These appointments will allow your oncologist to determine how well the chemotherapy is working and how you are managing the side effects of treatment.
With oral chemotherapy, the responsibility for taking the drug correctly has shifted from the health care team to the person with cancer. This responsibility can be overwhelming, and many people do not fully understand how to take the drug safely or how to monitor for side effects. If your treatment includes oral drugs, be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions exactly. Make sure you know what to do if you miss a dose, and remember to never crush, break, or chew your oral chemotherapy drugs. The reason for this is because chemotherapy doses are set up so that there will be a constant level of drug in your body to kill cancer cells. Oral chemotherapy is most often given in treatment cycles, just like intravenous therapies, in order to cut down on harm to healthy cells, while also allowing the drug to kill cancer cells. It is important to keep track of your treatment cycles to ensure that the drug is being taken correctly.
Tips for Safely Handling and Taking Oral Chemotherapy
Many oral chemotherapy drugs require special storage in order to maintain effectiveness and safety. They should be considered hazardous, so do not combine your oral chemotherapy pills with regular medications in a pill organizer — keep a separate airtight container for your chemotherapy pill such as the original pill bottle. Keep the pills away from children and pets. Wash your hands before and after taking your pills and if someone should need to help you with the pills, they should wear plastic gloves (chemo resistant preferred) and wash their hands also. Once again, it is important to not crush, split, chew, or dissolve you oral chemotherapy without speaking to your oncology care team first.
Advice for Patients on Oral Chemotherapy
- Be inquisitive before you begin. For example, oral chemotherapy can be very expensive — will your insurance cover it? If not, are there drug assistance programs available?
- Be a good observer, reporter, and record-keeper. Keep a diary and record side effects as soon as you experience them.
- Be aware of interactions with foods, supplements, and other medications. Some supplements and vitamins can actually interfere with how well chemotherapy works.
- Be aware of where you are in your treatment cycle. Use a calendar to keep track of when you are to start your medications and when you need to contact your pharmacy for refills.
- Call your doctor or nurse right away if you have any questions or if you make a mistake, such as forgetting to take your pill at the correct time.
What does all this mean for you as the patient? Well, while oral chemotherapy options allow patients some freedom from needle sticks and repeated clinic visits, the responsibility to ensure proper management falls on the patient. Yet with proper training and education, patients can be successful at self-administering medication. Additionally, oral chemotherapy not only allows for greater flexible regimens but ultimately enable the patient to play a greater role in their own treatment.
For more information, you may contact Mid-Illinois Hematology & Oncology Associates, Ltd. 309-452-9701 or online at www.mihoaonline.org. They are a QOPI Certified practice located inside the Community Cancer Center at 407 E. Vernon Avenue in Normal.