Preparing for chemotherapy
- Medical Review: Elahe Salehi, DNP, ANP-BC
It’s normal to feel some anxiety if your doctor has recommended chemotherapy as part of your treatment plan. Many people associate cancer with chemotherapy’s side effects, such as nausea and hair loss.
The truth is that while some people have a rough time with chemotherapy, others manage quite well. Your care team has strategies and guidance for any side effects your treatment may cause. For example, there are very effective anti-nausea treatments available, and for chemotherapy medicines that cause hair loss, there are now ways for people to keep some or all of their hair. Many people continue to work, and others report feeling only mild discomfort.
Still, thinking about what to expect on the first day of chemotherapy and throughout treatment can naturally cause a sense of worry and uncertainty.
Preparing for chemo: What to expect
Hear from other women that have undergone chemotherapy for breast cancer and shared in the same sense of worry and uncertainty. Learn helpful tips for what to bring with you on treatment days, what to wear, and how to help pass the time during the infusion.
Helpful tips
We asked women living with metastatic breast cancer about their different experiences with chemotherapy, and they offered practical ways you can minimize side effects and support your well-being while you are in treatment. Another benefit? When you act on your own behalf, as these tips suggest, you will feel more empowered to continue advocating for your health.
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Reviewed and updated: June 2, 2026
Reviewed by: Elahe Salehi, DNP, ANP-BC
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Living Beyond Breast Cancer is a national nonprofit organization that seeks to create a world that understands there is more than one way to have breast cancer. To fulfill its mission of providing trusted information and a community of support to those impacted by the disease, Living Beyond Breast Cancer offers on-demand emotional, practical, and evidence-based content. For over 30 years, the organization has remained committed to creating a culture of acceptance — where sharing the diversity of the lived experience of breast cancer fosters self-advocacy and hope. For more information, learn more about our programs and services.