Fever is a possible side effect of both chemotherapy and biologic treatments.
Fever is normally the bodys response to infection.
Experiencing a fever during chemotherapy requires immediate treatment.
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Chemotherapy causes a low white blood cell count in the blood.
Without a normal level of white blood cells, the body cannot fight the infection.
This could quickly lead to serious illness.
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Definition
Chemo fever is a fever that occurs during or after receivingchemotherapy treatment.
What Temperature Defines a Fever?
The average temperature of the human body is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
Therefore, a fever is defined as a temperature at or above 100.4 in adults.
Chemotherapy lowers your bodys ability to fight infection by decreasing yourwhite blood cell count.
This is known asneutropenia.
Fever is observed in up to 36% of individuals receiving chemotherapy.
When Does Chemo Fever Commonly Occur?
Fever may peak three to four days after treatment, and then again 10 to 14 days after treatment.
The doctor or nurse will start by asking questions about your symptoms and treatment plan.
They will likely ask about your chemotherapy schedule and when your last dose was administered.
They will also ask if you are experiencing any other symptoms in addition to the fever.
Its possible to experience pain or achiness with a chemo fever.
Your medical team will work with you to determine the cause of your fever.
Its important to talk with your healthcare provider before taking medication to treat a fever.
Chemotherapy often causes a low platelet count.Plateletsare cells in the blood that clot the blood and prevent bleeding.
Talk with your healthcare provider before taking an over-the-counter medication.
Treatment options include:
Prevention
There is no way to always prevent chemo fever.
The best option is to be prepared with a plan for when a fever occurs.
Talk with your healthcare provider about possiblechemotherapy side effectsand how to address them.
confirm that you have a working thermometer at home in a convenient spot.
Know your healthcare provider’s phone number or have it posted somewhere visible.
Anytime you feel warm, chilled, flushed, or just off, take your temperature.
Any temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius is considered a fever.
Let your healthcare provider know what is going on and keep monitoring yourself for fever.
Summary
Chemo fever is a possible side effect of chemotherapy.
Its also possible to experience an infection that leads to fever.
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