Urgent symptoms
Clear, practical information for your next step.
Topics to discuss
- Fever during or soon after chemotherapy or other cancer treatment. Tell the emergency room you are in cancer treatment.
- Heavy bleeding, such as vomiting blood or passing large amounts of blood in the stool
- Sudden shortness of breath or chest pain
- New, severe pain that does not ease
- Sudden weakness, confusion, or trouble speaking
- For any of these, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Choosing the next step
Use the warning signs above to decide when emergency help is needed. This page cannot check your symptoms or tell you that it is safe to wait. If symptoms are severe, sudden, or getting worse quickly, seek urgent medical help. A routine appointment request is not an emergency service, and a message may not be read right away.
For a life-threatening emergency, call 911. Do not drive yourself if you feel faint, confused, or unable to travel safely. If possible, have someone stay with you while help arrives. Bring your medicine list and allergy information if they are easy to reach, but do not delay emergency care to collect records.
Content approved by Viva Centers
Sources
- Recommendation Topics — U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
- Cancer Screening — National Cancer Institute (NIH)
- Genetics and Cancer — National Cancer Institute (NIH)
- Cancer Survivorship — National Cancer Institute (NIH)
- Family History — MedlinePlus (NIH)
- Watch out for fever during cancer treatment — CDC