Depending on your diagnosis, you may get chemotherapy up to 2 times a month, or once every 3 or 4 weeks. Chemotherapy is given in on-and-off cycles that include rest periods so that your body has a chance to build healthy new cells and regain its strength. In many cases, the treatments continue for 6 months, depending on the chemotherapy that is recommended for you. Your health care provider should be able to estimate how long you will be getting chemotherapy.

Whatever schedule your health care provider prescribes, it is very important to complete it. Otherwise, the anticancer drugs may not have their desired effect. If you miss a treatment session or skip a dose of medication, contact your health care provider at once for instructions about what to do.