Diagnosis and Treatment

Chemotherapy

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This booklet uses easy wordsand pictures to help you getinformation about cancer.

You might want someone tohelp you look at the bookletso you can talk about it.

This booklet can help youlearn about cancer. But this is not the same as talking toyour doctor. If you are worried about your health, you should talk to a doctor or nurse.

There is a Word Bank at theback of the booklet to helpwith hard words. Any wordsin bold you can find in theWord Bank.

What is chemotherapy?

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Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a typeof treatment for cancer. It uses special drugs tokill cancer cells in thebody.

Some types of cancercan be treated with justchemotherapy. Sometimeschemotherapy is usedwith other treatments likeradiotherapy and surgery.

Why is chemotherapy given?

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Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is givenfor 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

How chemotherapy works

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Chemotherapy

There are lots of differenttypes of chemotherapydrugs.

The drugs travel throughthe body in your blood.They work by damagingthe cancer cells so thatthey can not spread andmake more cancer cells.

Each person will be givena different mixture depending on what typeof cancer they have.

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Chemotherapy

The drugs can also killsome of the healthy cellsin your body. But healthycells can usually mendthemselves and get backto normal after a shorttime.

The effects of the drugson healthy cells cancause side effects liketiredness or feeling sick.

Some people will onlyhave a few side effectsand others may havemore.

Chemotherapy - what happens?

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Chemotherapy

Your doctor will tell youwhen you will need treatment.

Some people have treatment for a few weeksand other people mightneed to have treatmentfor a few months.

People usually havesome treatments andthen have a break fromthe treatments.

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Chemotherapy

Over the time you arehaving chemotherapyyour doctor will keepchecking to see how thetreatment is working.They might then changeyour treatment

Usually people come tothe hospital for treatmentand then go home thesame day.

It is very important thatyou keep going for yourchemotherapy even if youfeel unwell. If you misstreatment it will not workso well to treat the cancer.

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Chemotherapy

If you are very ill withcancer and already inhospital, then you will begiven your treatmentthere.

Chemotherapy treatmentcan be given in differentways. The two main waysthat chemotherapy isgiven are:

= Tablets or capsules.

Your doctor or nurse willtell you how many tabletsto take and how often totake them.

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Chemotherapy

It is very important youknow when to take yourtablets. You may needsupport with this.

= By injection.

This means putting thedrugs into your bloodthrough your skin using aneedle. There are differentplaces on your body thatthe drugs can be injectedinto.

You will usually have tohave lots of treatments,so the nurse will put asmall tube under yourskin that stays there allthe way through yourtreatment. This is called aportacath.

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Chemotherapy

This makes it easier togive you the drugs without having to giveyou lots of injections.

The chemotherapy drugsare given into the tubefrom a bag of liquid calleda drip.

This can take from halfan hour up to severalhours.

Having to sit still whilethis happens can be boring, so it is good tohave a friend with you totalk to.

You can bring your ownmusic with you to listen toor something to read.

Chemotherapy

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Word B a nk

Drawing by Tracey HarrisonVolunteer and Illustrator with learning disabilities

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Word Bank

CellsThe tiny building blocksthat make up people’sbodies.

ChemotherapyThis is a treatment whereyou are given drugs tohelp kill cancer cells inyour body.

DiagnosisA diagnosis is finding outwhether you have an illness or not.

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PortacathThis is a small tube putunder your skin in anypart of your body. It staysthere all the way throughyour treatment. This tubemakes it easier to giveyou drugs without lots ofinjections.

RadiotherapyA treatment that usespowerful x-rays to kill cancer cells.

Word Bank

Side effectsThese are unwanted effects caused by havingtreatment, like feelingtired or sick.

Word Bank

SurgeryThis means having anoperation.

Notes...

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Us eful conta cts

Drawing by Tracey HarrisonVolunteer and Illustrator with learning disabilities

Helpful organisations

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Useful contacts

Cancer Research UKA charity that is researching treatments for cancer. Its website has lots of information about cancer.Phone: 0808 800 4040Web: www.cancerresearchuk.org

Macmillan Cancer SupportA charity that helps people who have cancer. They give practical, medicaland financial support. They try to make cancer care in the UK better.Phone: 0808 808 00 00Web: www.macmillan.org.uk

NHS ContactsThese contacts give you information about your health and health services:England and Scotland Phone: 111Wales Phone: 0845 46 47Northern Ireland Web: www.hscni.net

Paul’s Cancer Support CentreGives help, information and complementary therapies to people withcancer. Phone: 0207 924 3924Web: www.paulscancersupportcentre.org.uk

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Useful contacts

RESPONDGives therapy to people with learning disabilities after trauma or abuse.They also offer training and support to carers.Phone: 0808 808 07 00Web: www.respond.org.uk

Written and audio material

Books Beyond WordsA series of picture books for people with learning disabilities. The bookstalk about cancer, health and bereavement.Web: www.booksbeyondwords.co.ukPhone: 020 8877 9799Email: admin@booksbeyondwords.co.uk

FAIR MultimediaPublishes a range of health leaflets, audio discs and CDs for peoplewith learning disabilities. This includes a series on cancer.Email: fair@fairadvice.org.ukPhone: 0131 662 1962Web: www.fairadvice.org.uk/health-publications.php

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Online help

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Useful contacts

www.easyhealth.org.ukHas lots of online health information that is easy to understand.

www.macmillan.org.ukHas lots of information aboutcancer and where to get help.You can also talk to other people with cancer in the online community.

Videos and DVDsLeeds Animation WorkshopHas animated films on social issues for people with learning disabilities. Thereis one called ‘Getting Better’ about going to the doctor and the health clinic.Phone: 0113 248 4997Web: www.leedsanimation.org.uk/index.html

Speak Up Self AdvocacyHas DVDs and booklets for people with learning disabilities about health and illness.Web: www.speakup.org.uk

Macmillan Cancer Support has reviewed the information in thisbooklet and paid for it to be produced. They are a charity whohelp people with cancer. They have nurses and other healthworkers. They try to make cancer care in the UK better. Theyhave experts who can answer your questions about cancer andhow it affects your life. You can call Macmillan on 0808 808 00 00or textphone 0808 808 0121 (Mon–Fri, 9am–8pm). Or go tomacmillan.org.uk

CHANGE is a leading national Human Rights organisation led bydisabled people. We work for equal rights for all people withlearning disabilities. The cancer books and booklets thatCHANGE have produced are part of an ongoing campaign toraise awareness about the issues of cancer for people withlearning disabilities. You can call CHANGE on 0113 242 6619,email info@changepeople.org or find us at www.changepeople.org

This easy read booklet was produced by CHANGE © CHANGE 2016