Chemotherapy (chemo) can be an effective tool to treat cancer. Unfortunately, it can also cause side effects. This is because it destroys healthy cells along with cancerous ones. Some side effects can be more serious than others. Your healthcare provider can work with you to help manage your side effects.
If possible, it’s important to follow your chemo treatment schedule as closely as you can. But if your side effects are potentially serious enough, your provider might put your treatment on hold for a short time.
Determining if you need a chemo break
Your provider might delay your chemo treatment if you have any of the following:
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Low white blood cell count (neutropenia). White blood cells can help your body fight infection. Chemo can lower your white blood cell count. This puts you at risk of getting a dangerous infection. If your white blood cell count is too low, your provider may advise that you delay your next round of chemo. Otherwise, the new round of chemo will lower your white blood cell count even more. This could be dangerous.
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Low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). Platelets are blood cells that help stop bleeding. Chemo can lower your platelet count. If yours is very low, your provider may decide to delay treatment.
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Low red blood cell count (anemia). Red blood cells help carry oxygen to different parts of your body. Chemo can lower your red blood cell count. This can cause symptoms like severe tiredness (fatigue), dizziness, pale skin, and shortness of breath. Sometimes your anemia may become so severe you have to put off your next chemo treatment.
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Infection. If you’re sick, your provider may want to delay your chemo treatment. If your white blood cell count is already low, your body may not be able to fight the infection on its own. You may need to wait until you’ve recovered. And until your white blood cell count has returned to normal.
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Liver damage. Some chemo medicine can hurt your liver. Your provider will run blood tests to measure your liver function. If your healthcare team thinks your liver is showing signs of damage, they may delay chemo for a short time.
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Kidney damage. Your kidneys break down and remove chemo medicine from your body. This process can also hurt your kidneys and bladder. If blood tests show kidney damage, you may need to delay chemo treatment.
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Dehydration. It’s important to drink plenty of fluids during chemo treatments. This can help reduce side effects. But sometimes you may have severe nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that makes it hard to stay hydrated. If you are dehydrated, your provider may advise delaying treatment until your condition improves.
Coping with treatment delays
It can be difficult and stressful to know that your cancer treatment will be delayed. Here are some questions to ask your healthcare team to get a better understanding of your situation:
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When will I be able to restart treatment?
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Does this delay affect my prognosis?
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Is it possible to lower my chemo dose to minimize these side effects?
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Can I switch to another chemo medicine?
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Are there any other ways to manage side effects?
If you do need to delay treatment, try not to feel discouraged. You may respond better to a different chemo medicine or a lower dose of your current medicine. The most important thing is to talk about your side effects to your healthcare team. With their help, you can figure out the next steps and the right treatment for you.
