The short version
- A one-page checklist of warning signs during and after breast cancer treatment, and who to call.
- Keep it somewhere easy to find, such as on the fridge, with your team’s numbers written in.
- Free to download and print. One A4 page.
What’s on the checklist
Call 999 if you have
- chest pain that doesn’t go away, or severe difficulty breathing
- confusion, or feel the worst you’ve ever felt
- not passed urine for a day, or mottled or discoloured skin1
Call your 24-hour treatment helpline now if you have
- a temperature over 37.5°C or below 36°C, or feel shivery or suddenly unwell1, 2
- signs of infection, such as a sore throat, cough, or pain when passing urine1
- sickness and can’t keep fluids down, or severe diarrhoea
- new back pain with numbness, weakness or tingling in your legs, or bladder or bowel problems
Contact your breast care nurse or GP soon if you notice new swelling in your arm, hand, breast or chest, signs of wound infection, a new lump or skin changes, new bone pain lasting more than a week or two, or pain, tiredness or low mood that isn’t getting better.3
Always follow the specific advice your own team has given you.
Related pages
Everyone’s treatment is different, so talk to your cancer team about what is right for you.
References
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. SACT side effects: an increased risk of infection, neutropenia and neutropenic sepsis. www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/our-services/services-we-offer/cancer/systemic-anti-cancer-therapies-home/sact-treatment/sact-side-effects-symptom-support/sact-side-effects-an-increased-risk-of-infection-neutropenia-and-neutropenic-sepsis/
- Macmillan Cancer Support. Chemotherapy (fact sheet, 2022). www.macmillan.org.uk/dfsmedia/1a6f23537f7f4519bb0cf14c45b2a629/7233-10061/mac12464-chemotherapy-final-english-for-web
- Breast Cancer Now. Changes to be aware of after breast cancer (BCN402). www.breastcancernow.org/media-assets/3xvpi401/bcn402_changes_to_be_aware_of_after_breast_cancer.pdf