Jóhild gets chemotherapy at home and gains freedom

Receiving chemotherapy at home has given 30-year-old Jóhild Sørensen more freedom as she undergoes treatment for acute leukaemia, DR reports. She is among a growing number of patients receiving some or all of their treatment at home.

Sørensen is treated at Odense University Hospital. She goes to the hospital to be connected to a chemotherapy pump, where staff check that everything is working properly. She then takes the medication home in a bag. The pump runs for four hours, pauses and then runs for another four hours.

Hospital staff have trained her to prepare for treatment and monitor her condition. She can take her own blood samples and measure her blood pressure, and she knows what symptoms to watch for and when to contact the hospital department.

Sørensen was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in May and initially spent long periods in hospital. She said being at home helps her feel more normal, with her own clothes, bed and food.

The treatment has side effects. During her most recent course, she was very tired and experienced heart palpitations and difficulty breathing. She spent much of the time on the sofa or in bed, but said she still preferred to receive the treatment at home.

Information from Denmark’s five regions shows that home treatment is increasing, according to Kristian Kidholm, a professor and research director at the Centre for Innovative Medical Technology at Odense University Hospital. He said more patients are beginning to receive treatment outside the hospital.