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Before starting your SACT treatment

We have gathered all the information you may need before starting your treatment to help your recovery.

On this page

Physical health

Being physically active can help you to recover faster after your treatment. It can also help to:

  • Reduce the side effects of the treatment
  • Reduce tiredness
  • Reduce anxiety and depression
  • Increase confidence and self-esteem
  • Improve overall physical function
  • Strengthen muscles
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Improve flexibility and balance
  • Improve overall quality of life

Physical activity can also help to reduce your risk of other major illnesses, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes.

Your diet

Eating a well-balanced diet with a variety of foods can maintain your energy levels. This will help you feel the best you can and may help you tolerate your treatment better.

For support with your diet, please visit:

Smoking cessation

Stopping smoking is a very positive thing you can do to maintain your health during and after your cancer treatment.

For support with smoking cessation, please visit:

Dental work

You must have a dental check before starting your treatment because any dental work will need to be done before your treatment can start.

If you have any dental problems during your treatment, it is important to report this to your team. Your treatment may need to be interrupted to allow for dental treatment to be done.

Electric toothbrushes and wet shaving

Good dental hygiene is essential during your SACT treatment. You may be at risk of bleeding/bruising while having treatment if you have low platelets. Therefore, avoid using electric toothbrushes and wet shaving. Use a manual soft toothbrush and an electric razor.

Cancer prehabilitation

You can access the cancer prehabilitation team if you have gynaecological, prostate, colorectal, upper gastrointestinal, lung, breast, skin or haematological cancer.

Tel: 0300 422 4784

Email: ghn-tr.cancerprehab@nhs.net

Cancer prehabilitation helps you to prepare for cancer treatment by building your physical strength and psychological resilience.

Prehabilitation has many benefits including:

  • Shortening recovery time in between and after your treatment
  • Reducing the severity of side effects you may experience
  • Improving your quality of life
  • Improving your confidence and well-being

Immunisations

There are two types of immunisations. Those that contain live vaccines and non-live vaccines.

You should avoid having immunisations with live vaccines whilst having cancer treatment. You may not be able to have live vaccines for several months to a year after your treatment. Please discuss with your consultant when you can start having them again.

Avoid close contact with people who have received oral live vaccines recently (such as polio and typhoid). Discuss with your consultant how long you should avoid close contact. Practice good personal hygiene, especially if you are in contact with any babies who have been vaccinated with the rotavirus vaccine. If you are in contact with babies, avoid changing nappies for up to 2 weeks. If this is unavoidable, use disposable gloves and practice good hand washing as the virus will be excreted in the baby’s urine for up to 2 weeks.

You can have all non-live vaccines whilst having cancer treatment. Please discuss with your consultant when would be the best time for you to have these vaccines.

Further information can be found via Cancer Research

Aspirin

Do not take aspirin unless your consultant is aware, as it can increase the risk of bleeding.

Complementary and alternative medicines

There is a lack of published evidence about the use of complementary and alternative medicines alongside SACT. Therefore, herbal medicine supplements are not recommended to be taken until your course of treatment has been completed.

Supplements categorised as vitamins, minerals and homeopathy are allowed within safe daily limits. Please discuss this with your consultant or pharmacist.

More information about complementary and alternative therapies via Cancer Research.

Alcohol

It is recommended that you avoid alcohol during your course of SACT treatment.

Suppositories

To reduce the risk of infection, you should avoid using suppositories during your course of treatment.

Your general health during cancer treatment

Throughout your cancer treatment, your GP will be responsible for your general health. For example, any other health concerns not relating to your cancer diagnosis and treatment, any current medical conditions you may have and managing your usual repeat prescriptions will need to go through your GP.

Sexual health and fertility

It is strongly advised not to get pregnant or father a pregnancy during your course of treatment.

The drugs you are given/ take can stay in your bodily fluids and can be a health risk to sexual partners. Use a barrier form of contraception for at least 7 days after having treatment. Examples of barrier methods are condoms, femidoms or dental dams. This advice applies to vaginal, anal and oral sex.

Your libido may be reduced during your treatment.

For more information, please visit:

Macmillan or Cancer Research

Alternatively, you can discuss this with your CNS or the FOCUS team.

Female reproductive organs

Some drugs can damage the eggs or ovaries. Menstrual bleeding can become irregular, heavier or stop for a while. This is temporary infertility.

Some drugs can cause early menopause and therefore permanent infertility.

You may be asked to perform a pregnancy test before starting your treatment.

Macmillan has more information about cancer and fertility in women

Female menstruation

To reduce the risk of infection, please avoid using tampons during your course of treatment.

Male reproductive organs

Some drugs can damage the cells that produce sperm. The body can still produce semen, therefore, a male can ejaculate but the semen has no sperm to fertilise a female’s egg.

Macmillan has more information about cancer and fertility in men

Alert cards

There is a Chemotherapy alert card and an Immunotherapy alert card. You may be given one or both, depending on which type of treatment you will be having.

The purpose of the card is to alert others that you are having cancer treatment, should anything unexpected happen to you. It is the same size as a credit card.

Your alert card will look like this

Oncology patients can obtain an alert card from the FOCUS team. If you are a haematology patient, please ask your CNS for an alert card.

Always carry your alert card with you.

If you are seen by any other healthcare professional, including your GP, Emergency Department or Dentist, please show them this card.

Other considerations

Driving and DVLA advice

We advise against driving to or from any of your treatment appointments.

Having cancer and cancer treatments may affect your ability to drive. You may need to contact the DVLA and your insurance company to let them know that you have cancer and will be receiving treatment for it.

It is safer to have someone bring and collect you as you will be receiving drugs that you have not experienced before and you cannot predict how you will feel.

Even if you were to feel well enough to drive after your first treatment, this does not mean that you will feel well enough after your second treatment and so on. You may feel different after each treatment.

Travel

Please check with your consultant if it is safe for you to travel during your course of treatment.

More information about Travelling with Cancer

Pets

If you have a pet at home, you must maintain a good level of hygiene, wash your hands after handling them and not let them lick your face.

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