What supportive care measures can I recommend to patients to help mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy?

When recommending supportive care measures to patients to help mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy, you can advise on several key areas:

• Information and Support: Patients undergoing anticancer treatment and their carers should receive written and oral information, both before starting and throughout treatment, on neutropenic sepsis, how and when to contact 24-hour specialist oncology advice, and how and when to seek emergency care ¹.
• Managing Cancer-Related Fatigue: For patients experiencing significant cancer-related fatigue, recommend an assessment to identify any treatable causative factors and offer appropriate management ². Provide clear, written information about cancer-related fatigue, organisations offering psychosocial support, and patient-led groups ². Additionally, provide information about and timely access to an exercise programme ².
• Managing Other Common Symptoms: Symptoms such as weight loss, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing, and depression should be managed by multidisciplinary groups that include supportive and palliative care professionals ³. For breathlessness, consider non-drug interventions based on psychosocial support, breathing control, and coping strategies, delivered by a multidisciplinary group ³.