There are many chemotherapy centers that provide treatment facility to cancer patients. This treatment can be given orally, topically as well as intravenously. When patients are prescribed drugs in the form of pills, they can easily take it at home. In case the treatment has to given intravenously, it is usually given in hospitals that specialize in this kind of treatment. The duration of infusion of the drug varies according to the drug prescribed for the treatment and the type and stage of cancer that the patient is prescribed with.

A well-equipped chemotherapy center would have the following facilities:

• A multidisciplinary team of dedicated cancer specialists: These doctors as a team decide the treatment plan to suit the individual need of the patient. For example, the treatment plan is formulated by an oncologist, but the surgery might be performed by a surgeon.
• Laboratory services: This service makes it very convenient for the patients to get their blood and other investigatory tests done under one roof
• Inpatient and outpatient services: The administration of some drugs may take more than 24 hours. In this case, the patients might need to stay in the hospital as inpatients. So both these facilities should be there in a chemotherapy center.
• Certified oncology nurses and technicians: The chemotherapy technicians should be trained for the job as they are supposed to work with hazardous chemicals. The chemotherapy nurses in these centers should be very skilled and qualified for the job, as they have to take care of patients and administer drugs.
• Doctor on call for emergency and a 24 hour helpline for patients: This is very important for a hospital providing chemotherapy treatment, as a patient can have problem any time.
• The center should also have all the modern equipments required for the treatment

The center should also be easily accessible to patients. Most of these hospitals conduct clinical trials; if the patients want they can participate in any of these clinical trials before, during and after the treatment.

The patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment should observe the following precautions before the treatment:

• Inform your oncologist about any chronic health problem that you have
• If you take any over-the-counter drugs or medicines before the treatment, you may need your doctor’s consent to continue them once the treatment starts
• Do not have yourself immunized or vaccinated without your doctor’s consent
• In case you have conceived or plan to have a child after the treatment, speak to your doctor about it

The chemotherapy centers may specialize in some kind of treatments. For example, a center can specialize in treatment for brain cancer, where the doctors are experts in treating gliomas and know in detail about chemotherapy and blood brain barrier. You may want to take a second opinion regarding your treatment. Make sure that you have all your doubts cleared before the treatment. Most of the chemotherapy centers have a counseling department or support groups that are specially meant for cancer patients. The patients can join them and share their experiences.