Managing Cancer Care

• Finding Care
  • What Is Oncology?
  • Health Professionals Who Are Part of a Cancer Care Team
  • The Doctor-Patient Relationship
  • Where to Find Cancer Care
    • Choosing a Cancer Center or Hospital
    • Choosing a Cancer Doctor
  • Seeking a Second Opinion
  • Telemedicine and Telehealth
  • Home Care Services
    • What Are Home Care Services?
    • Who Provides Home Care Services?
    • Who Pays for Home Care?
    • Finding a Home Care Agency
  • Post-acute Care
• Making Decisions and Managing Your Treatment
  • Understanding Your Options and Making Treatment Decisions
  • How Treatment Is Planned and Scheduled
  • When Treatment Should Start
  • Cancer During Pregnancy
  • Questions to Ask Your Doctor When You Have Cancer
  • Informed Consent
    • What Is Informed Consent?
    • When Is Informed Consent Needed?
    • Informed Consent for a Clinical Trial
  • Advance Directives
    • What Is an Advance Directive?
    • Types of Advance Directives
    • Frequently Asked Questions About Advance Directives
    • Making Decisions for Your Advance Directive
  • If Cancer Treatments Stop Working
  • Getting Cancer Treatment at Home
  • Intravenous (IV) Lines, Catheters, and Ports Used in Cancer Treatment
  • Tubes, Catheters, and Drains Used in Cancer Treatment and Care
  • Coping with Cancer After a Natural Disaster
  • Cancer Care Toolkit
  • Clinical Trials
    • Clinical Trials: What You Need to Know
    • Clinical Trials Videos
    • Compassionate Drug Use
    • Cancer Surveillance Programs in the United States
• Treatment Types
  • Cancer Surgery
    • How Surgery Is Used for Cancer
    • Getting Ready for and Recovering from Cancer Surgery
    • Risks of Cancer Surgery
    • Less Invasive Cancer Surgery Techniques
    • Ostomies
  • Chemotherapy
    • How Is Chemotherapy Used to Treat Cancer?
    • How Chemotherapy Drugs Work
    • Getting IV or Injectable Chemotherapy
    • Getting Oral or Topical Chemotherapy
    • Chemotherapy Side Effects
    • Chemotherapy Safety
    • Questions to Ask About Chemotherapy
  • Radiation Therapy
    • How Radiation Therapy Is Used to Treat Cancer
    • Getting External Beam Radiation Therapy
    • Getting Internal Radiation Therapy (Brachytherapy)
    • Getting Oral or Systemic Radiation Therapy
    • Getting Photodynamic Therapy
    • Radiation Therapy Side Effects
    • Radiation Therapy Safety
  • Targeted Therapy
    • How Targeted Therapies Are Used to Treat Cancer
    • Getting Targeted Cancer Therapy
    • Targeted Therapy Side Effects
    • Targeted Therapy Safety
  • Immunotherapy
    • How Immunotherapy Is Used to Treat Cancer
    • Monoclonal Antibodies
    • CAR T-cell Therapy
    • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
    • Cancer Vaccines
    • Cytokines
    • Immunomodulators
    • Immunotherapy Safety
  • Stem Cell or Bone Marrow Transplant
    • How Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplants Are Used to Treat Cancer
    • Types of Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplants
    • Donating Stem Cells and Bone Marrow
    • Getting a Stem Cell or Bone Marrow Transplant
    • Stem Cell or Bone Marrow Transplant Side Effects
  • Hormone Therapy
  • Precision or Personalized Medicine
  • Off-label Drug Use
  • Biosimilar Medicines
  • Tumor-agnostic Drugs
  • Hyperthermia
  • Laser Therapy
  • Blood Product Transfusions
    • Kinds of Blood Product Transfusions
    • Blood Types and Matching
    • Transfusion Steps and Possible Side Effects
  • Complementary and Integrative Medicine
    • Complementary and Integrative Methods
    • Dietary Supplements
    • Cannabis and Cancer
  • Alternative Medicine
    • What Is Alternative Medicine?
    • Where Can I Find Trustworthy Info on Alternative Medicine?
    • Can I Safely Use an Alternative Method?
    • Will My Insurance Cover Alternative Medicine?
    • How Do I Talk to My Doctor About Alternative Medicine?
  • Tumor Treating Fields (TTF) /Electrical Therapy
• Palliative Care
  • What Is Palliative Care?
  • Who Should Get Palliative Care and Why?
  • How and Where Is Palliative Care Provided and How Is It Paid For?
  • Finding a Palliative Care Program
  • Questions to Ask About Palliative Care
  • Palliative Care Videos
• Advanced and Metastatic Cancer
  • What Are Advanced and Metastatic Cancers?
  • How Does Cancer Spread?
  • Managing Advanced Cancer
  • Bone Metastases
  • Brain Metastases
  • Liver Metastases
  • Lung Metastases
  • Coping with Advanced and Metastatic Cancer
• Coronavirus, COVID-19, and Cancer
  • COVID-19 Vaccines in People with Cancer
  • Questions About COVID-19 and Cancer
  • Questions to Ask Your Health Care Team About COVID-19
• More Information on Cancer Drugs
• How to Interpret News About New Cancer Treatments
• Cancer Treatment Videos
• Side Effects
  • Blood Counts and Blood Clots
    • Neutropenia (Low White Blood Cell Counts)
    • Anemia (Low Red Blood Cell Count)
    • Thrombocytopenia (Low Platelet Count)
    • Blood Clots
  • Bowel and Bladder Problems
    • Constipation
    • Diarrhea
    • Bowel Incontinence
    • Bladder Incontinence (Leakage)
    • Urine Retention
  • Cognitive Problems or Changes in Thinking
    • Confusion and Delirium
    • Changes in Memory, Thinking, and Focus (Chemo Brain)
  • Drinking and Eating Changes
    • Nausea and Vomiting
    • Loss of Appetite (Anorexia) and Cachexia
    • Mouth Soreness and Pain
    • Dehydration and Lack of Fluids
    • Mouth Dryness or Thick Saliva
    • Weight Changes
    • Hiccups and Heartburn
    • Swallowing Problems
    • Taste and Smell Changes
  • Mental Health and Distress
    • Distress
    • Social Isolation and Loneliness
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
  • Fertility
    • Preserving Fertility in Children and Teens with Cancer
    • Fertility Assistance and Other Options for Becoming a Parent After Cancer
    • How Cancer and Cancer Treatment Can Affect Fertility in Men
    • Preserving Your Fertility When You Have Cancer (Men)
    • How Cancer and Cancer Treatment Can Affect Fertility in Women
    • Preserving Your Fertility When You Have Cancer (Women)
    • Having a Baby After Cancer: Pregnancy
  • Fatigue, Weakness, and Sleep Problems
    • Sleep Problems
    • Fatigue
    • Balance Problems, Weakness, and Falls
  • Hair, Skin, and Nail Problems
    • Hair Loss
    • Hot Flashes and Sweating
    • Rashes and Skin Changes
    • Cellulitis
    • Nail Changes
    • Pressure Sores
    • Wounds and Scars
  • Infections in People with Cancer
    • Why Are People with Cancer More Likely to Get Infections?
    • Preventing Infections in People with Cancer
    • Fevers
    • Managing Infections and Sepsis in People with Cancer
    • Vaccinations and Flu Shots for People with Cancer
  • Infusion or Immune Reactions
  • Pain
    • Cancer Pain
    • Leg Cramps
    • Peripheral Neuropathy
    • Post-mastectomy Pain Syndrome
  • Prostheses (Prosthetics)
  • Seizures
  • Shortness of Breath
  • Swelling
    • Lymphedema
    • Edema (Swelling)
    • Ascites
  • Sexual Side Effects
    • Dating and Relationships During and After Cancer
    • How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy
    • How Cancer Can Affect Erections
    • How Cancer Can Affect Ejaculation and Orgasm
    • How Cancer Can Affect Sexual Desire in Men
    • How Cancer Surgery Can Affect Sex for Women
    • How Radiation Therapy Can Affect Sex for Women
    • How Hormone Therapy, Chemo, and Immunotherapy Can Affect Sex for Women
    • Managing Sexual Side Effects as a Woman with Cancer