Use the oncology plan first, and escalate when symptoms become dangerous.
Cancer type, treatment, blood counts, and individual risks matter. Keep the oncology team’s written instructions available and use this general guide only to organize the next action.
Emergency help
Severe breathing, consciousness, bleeding, or treatment emergency
Call 911 for severe trouble breathing, blue or gray lips, new unresponsiveness, a seizure, possible stroke signs, uncontrolled bleeding, or another life-threatening change. During chemotherapy, a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher requires immediate oncology guidance and may require emergency evaluation.
Call 911 for life-threatening symptoms. Tell emergency staff about the cancer diagnosis, active treatment, and last treatment date.
Call oncology today
A new symptom or side effect is not controlled
Call promptly for repeated vomiting, inability to keep fluids down, new confusion, worsening pain, new shortness of breath, unusual bruising or bleeding, infection concerns, or any threshold in the oncology plan.
Use the oncology number and instructions provided to you. Do not delay that call while waiting for a routine visit elsewhere.
Plan a supportive visit
The burden is persistent or decisions are becoming harder
Schedule a palliative review for ongoing pain, fatigue, appetite changes, sleep problems, emotional distress, family strain, or questions about goals and treatment tradeoffs.
Bring the timeline, medication list, oncology plan, recent records, and the questions the patient and family want answered together.
Your oncology team may give different thresholds based on treatment and blood counts. Follow those individualized instructions whenever they are more specific.
