CAP chemotherapy is usually recommended for ovarian cancer. This treatment is given after every three weeks by inducing the drugs into the patient’s hand or arm vein with the help of a small plastic tube called cannula. CAP is derived from the three drugs used for the treatment, that is, Cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, and Cisplatin. The drugs are administered as a day case or in the hospital for 24 hours. Both the doctor and chemotherapy nurse are involved in any chemotherapy process.

During CAP chemotherapy, a lot of fluid is given to the patients. A drug, diuretic is also given, to make the patients pass a lot of water. This practice is usually followed to protect the patient’s kidneys. A blood test is done before chemotherapy schedules. If the blood count is less, then the treatment might be delayed for a few days.

Patients undergoing CAP chemotherapy may experience a few side effects during the treatment. The side effects in most cases differ from patient to patient. There is also a possibility that the patients might not experience any side effects during the treatment. Doctors and the clinic staff make sure that the side effects are kept to a minimum. Patients on the other hand should openly discuss all the possible side effects that they experience. This makes them work in a better way to eliminate the side effects and cure the disease in the best possible way. CAP chemotherapy is an effective and most preferred treatment for ovarian cancer.

If patient’s blood count falls, they show the following symptoms:

• White Blood Cells:A fall in the patient’s while blood cells show flu like symptoms. There is persistent shivering and shaking along with fever. If the body temperature is 38°C and above, patients must contact the doctor or cancer unit immediately for further guidance. A high temperature would indicate that the patient has an infection, which could be dangerous. Avoid taking Aspirin or paracetamol to bring the temperature down, as this would camouflage the signs of infection.
• Hemoglobin (Hb):A low count of hemoglobin shows tiredness, dizziness, breathlessness, and lethargy symptoms. The skin also turns pale with low Hb count. During the entire course of the treatment, patients have to under blood transfusion occasionally to increase the Hb count.
• Platelets: Symptoms such as nose bleeding, bruising, headaches or unexplained bleeding need to be bought to the doctor’s attention immediately.

Paracetamol intake: As mentioned above, if the patient’s temperature increases, he or she needs to be immediately rushed to the hospital for further medical assistance as they may have an infection. Paracetamol in this case is not recommended as it would delay the treatment and would only give false assurance. The drug can otherwise be taken at your own discretion. For example, if the patient has a mild headache or pain in the body; paracetamol can be taken.. Patient’s body temperature needs to be checked before administrating each drug. A six-hour gap should be maintained between each dose to see that the temperature does not increase.

CAP chemotherapy gives few other side effects as well. Hair loss, sore mouth, premature menopause, constipation, fatigue, weight gain, weight loss, diarrhea, heart problems, change in sensation, change in taste are a few to name. These side effects usually diminish once the treatment is over.