What to know
Call your doctor right away if you notice any of the signs and symptoms of an infection.
Overview
During your chemotherapy treatment, your body may not be able to fight off infections like it used to. When your white blood cell counts are low, you must take infection symptoms seriously. Infection during chemotherapy can lead to hospitalization or death.
Signs and symptoms of an infection
Call your doctor right away if you notice any of the following signs and symptoms of an infection:
- Fever (this is sometimes the only sign of an infection).
- Chills and sweats.
- Change in cough or a new cough.
- Sore throat or new mouth sore.
- Shortness of breath.
- Nasal congestion.
- Stiff neck.
- Burning or pain with urination.
- Unusual vaginal discharge or irritation.
- Increased urination.
- Redness, soreness, or swelling in any area, including surgical wounds and ports.
- Diarrhea.
- Vomiting.
- Pain in the abdomen or rectum.
- New onset of pain.
More steps to take
Find out from your doctor when your white blood cell count is likely to be the lowest, since this is when you're most at risk for infection. This usually occurs between 7 and 12 days after you finish each chemotherapy dose, and may last up to 1 week.
For more information, visit PreventCancerInfections.org and the National Cancer Institute's Infection and Neutropenia During Cancer Treatment.