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Your first chemotherapy visit can feel unfamiliar. Most of the day follows a series of checks: arrival, assessment, confirmation that treatment can proceed, preparation of medicines, the infusion and a final review before you leave. You can ask what is happening at any stage.
A day-unit appointment usually means treatment without a planned overnight stay. The total visit may be much longer than the time shown for the chemotherapy infusion itself. Blood results, preparation, extra fluids and observation all affect the schedule. The details depend on your treatment and the unit you attend.
Before leaving home
Check your appointment time and whether blood tests are needed beforehand. Bring your treatment papers, a current medicines list, allergy details and any home medicines that the team has asked you to bring. Include supplements and injections prescribed by another clinician.
If you develop fever, shaking chills or feel seriously unwell before leaving home, contact the cancer team straight away. Do not wait until you arrive for the appointment to report it. Follow the emergency instructions you have been given.
Follow the instructions about food, drink and medicines. Do not assume that chemotherapy requires fasting: eat normally unless your team has given different instructions for your treatment or a planned procedure. Take any prescribed pre-treatment tablets at the stated time; call if you missed them rather than guessing what to do.
Comfortable clothes with easy access to your arm or port area can help. Glasses, a phone charger, headphones and something to read may make waiting easier. Ask whether you can bring a snack and drinks, and follow individual fluid advice if you have heart or kidney problems.
For the first visit, arrange a support person and transport home if possible. Some medicines can make you sleepy, and you may not yet know how you will feel. Check the unit’s companion policy in advance.
Arrival and getting settled
After registration, the nursing team will confirm your identity and treatment plan. You may be asked the same details more than once. Repeated checks are a deliberate part of medicine safety, not a sign that staff have forgotten you.
Before the first treatment, the team should explain its purpose, likely benefits, important risks and alternatives, and check your consent. Ask about anything that is unclear, even if you have already signed a consent form.
Tell the nurse if you feel anxious, need help walking, have hearing or language needs, or would prefer explanations in smaller steps. If you are worried about needles, say so before the procedure begins. You do not have to pretend to be comfortable.
This is also the time to report anything new: fever, a cough, vomiting, diarrhoea, reduced eating, mouth soreness, pain, a fall or an unexpected change in your health. Do not keep quiet because you are worried treatment might be delayed.
Assessment and blood-test results
The team will ask how you are feeling and check things such as your temperature and blood pressure, as needed for your treatment. Blood tests may assess blood counts and kidney or liver function; some treatments need other checks. Tests can be done before the appointment or on the day, depending on the unit.
If the results or your symptoms make treatment unsafe that day, the team may postpone, adjust or investigate before proceeding. A delay does not automatically mean that the cancer has worsened or that the treatment has failed. Ask what prompted the change and what happens next.
Why can there be a wait before the drip starts?
Cancer medicines need the correct prescription, dose, preparation and checks. In some units, preparation follows confirmation that you are ready for treatment. The sequence depends on the medicine and local pharmacy arrangements.
Ask for an estimated schedule, while allowing some flexibility. Another patient leaving sooner may be receiving a completely different treatment. If you have travelled far or have a time-sensitive transport need, tell the team early.
How chemotherapy reaches your vein
Chemotherapy given into a vein may use a cannula, a PICC line or a port. A cannula is a short plastic tube placed in a vein in your hand or arm. A PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) is a longer tube that enters through an arm vein and reaches a large vein near the heart. A port, also called a chemoport, sits under the skin and connects to a vein. A special needle is used to give treatment through it.
Your team will explain which option suits your treatment and check it before the infusion begins. The Ports, PICCs and venous access guide explains the options, how they are inserted and how to care for them.
You may feel a brief sting when a needle or cannula is inserted. Once treatment is running, tell the nurse immediately about pain, burning, swelling, wetness or any change around the site. Do not wait for it to settle. Some medicines can harm nearby tissue if they leak outside the vein.
Do not pull on the tubing or adjust the connections. Ask the nurse for help if you need to change position or go to the toilet.
Medicines before chemotherapy
You may receive anti-sickness medicines, steroids, antihistamines or fluids before the anticancer medicine. The combination depends on your treatment; not everyone needs all of these. Anti-sickness treatment is often given preventively rather than waiting until vomiting begins.
Tell the team about previous reactions and any problems with steroids or diabetes. If a medicine makes you sleepy or light-headed, ask for help before standing. Your companion can help call the nurse, but clinical supervision remains the team’s responsibility.
During the infusion
Medicines may be given slowly through a drip or injected into the tubing by a nurse. You may receive several medicines and extra fluids. You can usually read, listen to music, rest or talk quietly while the team monitors you. The exact method depends on your treatment.
Tell staff immediately about flushing, itching, a rash, chills, chest or back discomfort, throat tightness, dizziness or difficulty breathing. Some people react to a medicine while it is being given. Telling the nurse straight away helps the team check and treat the problem. Do not wait to see whether an important new symptom passes.
An infusion pump may sound an alarm for several reasons. Call the nurse and leave the controls alone. If you need to walk, ask for assistance with the stand and tubing; use your usual walking aid when appropriate.
After chemotherapy: time for observation
In some day units, you may need to remain for a short period after chemotherapy for observation and to complete billing and insurance formalities. This allows the team to check how you are feeling and confirm that you are ready to go home.
The observation time may change with your treatment, your condition or any reaction. Your nurse will explain the plan. Some side effects can develop after you leave, so the home instructions and urgent contact number remain important.
Before you go home
Make sure you and your companion understand the home plan. It helps to ask the nurse to write down:
- Which medicines to take, when to start them and which are only for use if needed.
- What to do if nausea is not controlled or you cannot keep fluids down.
- The unit’s urgent contact number, including evenings and weekends.
- Your fever instructions and other symptoms that need immediate contact.
- How to handle urine, stools, vomit and any treatment equipment safely at home, and for how long precautions are needed.
- The date of the next blood test, review or treatment visit.
If you are going home with an infusion pump, you need separate instructions for its care, possible problems and disconnection. Do not change its settings yourself.
Growth factor injections at home
Some people are prescribed growth factor injections after chemotherapy to help the bone marrow make infection-fighting white blood cells. These medicines are often called G-CSF (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor). They are not needed after every treatment.
Before leaving, make sure you have the injections or a prescription and a clear plan to obtain them. Ask for written instructions covering:
- The medicine name and dose, and the date and time of the first injection, including how long after chemotherapy it should be given.
- Whether you need one injection for that cycle or a course of daily injections, and exactly how many days are prescribed. The schedule depends on the medicine and your treatment.
- How to store and transport the injections, including whether they need refrigeration. Follow the instructions for your exact product.
- Who will give the injections and where. If you or a caregiver will give them, arrange training and instructions for safe needle disposal before going home.
- Whom to contact if a dose is missed or delayed, or if you cannot obtain or give an injection as planned.
Do not change the timing or number of injections yourself. Growth factor treatment does not remove the need to follow your fever and urgent-contact instructions.
The first evening at home
Keep the evening manageable and take prescribed medicines as directed. Side effects vary: feeling well does not mean that treatment is ineffective, and feeling unwell is not proof that it is working better. Note symptoms so the team can improve support for the next visit.
Fever of 38°C (100.4°F) or above during chemotherapy needs immediate contact with your cancer team; follow any lower threshold they have given you. Also seek urgent advice if you feel seriously unwell even without fever. Do not wait for the next appointment.
Severe breathlessness, collapse, chest pain or inability to stay awake needs emergency assessment. Repeated vomiting or inability to drink also needs prompt advice. Keep the treatment summary and contact details where you and your family can find them.
Common questions
Will I be in the unit all day?
Possibly, especially for a first treatment, but there is no standard length of visit for every treatment. Ask about the full visit, including preparation and observation, rather than only the infusion time.
What if I forget the instructions?
Ask for a written plan and permission for your companion to help take notes. Before leaving, repeat the key instructions back in your own words so the team can correct any uncertainty. Questions are welcome throughout the visit.
Sources and further reading
- Siegel RD, et al. Antineoplastic Therapy Administration Safety Standards for Adult and Pediatric Oncology: ASCO–ONS Standards. JCO Oncology Practice. 2024. Peer-reviewed safety standards. Read source
- Macmillan Cancer Support. How is chemotherapy given? Professionally reviewed patient information. Read source
- National Cancer Institute. Chemotherapy and You: Support for People With Cancer. Patient education booklet. Read source
- Macmillan Cancer Support. CMF. Regimen-specific patient information used for general examples of checks and supportive medicines, not as a universal regimen. Read source
- Murphy KD, et al. Quality assurance standards and their use in the preparation of parenteral systemic anticancer therapy products in healthcare establishments: a scoping review. European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy. 2024;31(2):88–93. First published online in 2023. Read source
- Thomas T, et al. ONS/ASCO Guideline on the Management of Antineoplastic Extravasation. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2025;29(5):384–399. Current joint guideline. Read source
- 2023 MASCC and ESMO guideline update for the prevention of chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. ESMO Open. 2024. Read source
- Barroso A, et al. Management of infusion-related reactions in cancer therapy: strategies and challenges. ESMO Open. 2024;9(3):102922. Clinical review; monitoring is treatment- and reaction-specific. Read source
- National Cancer Institute. Infection and Neutropenia during Cancer Treatment. Authoritative patient information. Read source
- Macmillan Cancer Support. How cancer drug treatments are given. Professionally reviewed patient information. Read source
- Macmillan Cancer Support. G-CSF (Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor). Patient information on use, injections, storage and missed doses. Read source
- Amgen. Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) patient information leaflet. Product-specific single-dose schedule, injection training and storage instructions. Read source
- Amgen. Neupogen (filgrastim) patient information leaflet. Product-specific daily dosing, duration, missed doses and storage instructions. Read source
Medically reviewed and approved by Dr (Prof) Vijay Agarwal
Professor and Lead Consultant – Medical Oncology
