You have been given the three-word sentence that none of us ever wants to hear... YOU HAVE CANCER! For many of us, your head is spinning and you may not even be able to hear anything else that the Dr. tells you after that. The information starts coming at you like water out of a hose drowning you in the face. 

They will tell you the type of cancer, the location, eventually, they will tell you the stage, and maybe a plan of treatment. One common part of treatment is chemotherapy. There...

The fogginess. The forgetfulness. The feeling of cluelessness. That’s chemo brain, one of the most frustrating side effects of cancer treatment. There’s even an official name for it – bet you didn’t know that. It’s called “Post-Chemotherapy Cognitive Impairment.”

Of course, cancer patients probably have some more colorful ways to describe the condition, but it wouldn’t be polite to print those here.

One of the problems with chemo brain is that because it’s been given a familiar name, those...

A cancer diagnosis can cause a whirlwind of questions and emotions. Often the specifics of the road ahead are unknown. Many WhatNexters agree that it felt easier once they found out more, got familiar with treatment plans, and found ways to stay positive and cope in their everyday life.

“I took it one thing at a time. I keep thinking each procedure, each treatment, is one more step towards recovery and that keeps me moving forward.” -- Beannie, Breast Cancer, Stage I

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Chemotherapy is notorious for its side effects. But while hair loss, vomiting, and diarrhea get all the attention, there’s one lesser-known side effect that can be just as tough: acne.

It’s true: your chemo treatment might end up taking your face on a time trip back to those thrilling days of puberty. Who says chemo can’t make you feel young again?

It might seem minor, but the reemergence of facial acne during cancer treatment is an added source of low self-esteem for patients. You can get a...

A chemotherapy port is sometimes referred to as a mediport, cancer port, or port a cath, is a vascular access device that is implanted under the skin so that people with cancer can be given chemotherapy. A power port is a port that enables patients to receive IV therapy as well as contrast CT scans.

For more information on chemotherapy read our guide: How WhatNexters Prepared for Chemotherapy.

Over a thousand WhatNexters have shared their firsthand experiences with chemotherapy ports. We...

It’s an unfortunate reality that chemotherapy and other drugs that fight cancer can often damage peripheral nerves. As a result, chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is one of the most common side effects of cancer treatment. This syndrome can result in feelings of numbness, burning sensation, pain, and tingling in the extremities, as well balance issues, and more.

On top of the other body blows that come with chemotherapy treatment, these after effects can just seem like insult to...

The What’s It Like? Blog Series

Obviously, the Internet is often the first stop for any new patient seeking information on what life with cancer is all about. But at WhatNext, we feel that our community offers what many online sites don’t: valuable personal experience from real cancer patients. 

Sure, sites like Cancer.net can offer a comprehensive and dispassionate breakdown of various cancer topics. But WhatNexters delivers straight talk from the patients who’ve lived it.

In our What’...

There have been major advancements in reducing the side effects of cancer treatments in recent years. Thanks to new drug formulations, incidents of nausea and vomiting are now less severe and pass more quickly. But in spite of these advances, the battle against barfing, puking, tossing your cookies, vomiting, and generally feeling like you’re going to hurl still has yet to be won. 

According to the Canadian Cancer Research Journal Current Oncology, “approximately one half of cancer...

If you are newly diagnosed, you have probably heard the term "chemo-port". A chemo-port or porta-cath, or power port is a device that is surgically implanted just under the skin usually in the upper chest area, just below the collar bone. Their main purpose is to be an access to deliver chemo drugs, and other drugs or IVs you may need during treatment. Blood draws can also be taken from the port. 

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Types of ports

Implantable Venous Port - This is the most common type of port that...

WhatNexter "CJGriggs1" has put together a helpful manual based on her own experiences in her cancer journey. Listed below is her chapter on Chemotherapy and How it Can Affect Your Body. These are things she learned about chemo throughout her treatments. Take a look for some tips and general information, and feel free to add your own tips in the comments below. 

Chemotherapy and its Side Effects

There are many different chemotherapy drugs with the potential for many different side...