Leading a normal lifestyle, being active and knowing that cancer can be treated at home gives the patient a sense of stability and benefits their wellbeing. By taking chemotherapy in tablets, the patient does not have to deal with many of the side effects that occur with intravenous chemotherapy. There are no problems with venipuncture or other complications associated with this route of drug administration (infection at the injection site, haematoma, catheter clot). With some of the drugs used in oral chemotherapy, some side effects are much less frequent.

Patients receiving oral chemotherapy are not left without control of their treatment. They have scheduled appointments with their doctor, but these are not enforced by the need to inject the drug. If any symptoms of concern arise during treatment, the patient has the opportunity to contact the treating physician. Patients receiving oral chemotherapy have an average of eight doctor visits per year. For intravenous chemotherapy, this averages about 30 visits. Treatment with oral chemotherapy therefore makes it possible to significantly reduce the length of stay in hospital.

Which cancers can be treated at home?

Oral chemotherapy can be used for colorectal cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, kidney cancer and liver cancer, among others. The patient's knowledge of treatment options and the impact of the therapy they are receiving on their functioning should become a subject of discussion with their doctor every time. Obtaining information about the disease, treatment options and side effects allows the patient to take an active stance during treatment.

The final decision on the choice of treatment always belongs to the oncologist. Only he or she has the knowledge and experience to recognise the disease and propose a specific therapy for a particular patient. The oral form of the drug may not be the drug of choice, even if the patient has the cancer mentioned above.