Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is systemic cancer treatment that uses medications to destroy or slow the growth of rapidly dividing cancer cells. Because chemotherapy can also affect healthy rapidly dividing cells, patients may experience bone marrow suppression, mucositis, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, alopecia, skin changes, reproductive effects, and organ-specific toxicities. Canadian Cancer Society notes that chemotherapy-related low white blood cells increase infection risk, low platelets increase bleeding risk, and low red blood cells can cause fatigue, dizziness, pallor, and shortness of breath. For RPN practice, chemotherapy care usually focuses on safe monitoring, patient education, symptom recognition, infection prevention, medication safety, supportive care, documentation, and timely escalation. Actual chemotherapy administration may require additional certification, employer authorization, and strict institutional policy.