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When you are diagnosed with cancer, your treatment will likely be carefully planned out by your doctors and other specialists. Part of your journey may include breaks in your treatment.1

Treatment breaks can happen in two ways – planned or unplanned.1

A planned break is a scheduled pause in your treatment. This may be between different types of treatment, such as chemotherapy and surgery. Or the break may happen between different cycles of treatment, such as chemotherapy.1,2 You may also be able to take a break if you have a special occasion or holiday coming up.3  

An unplanned break might happen if your side effects are becoming too much for you to cope with. If this happens, your doctor might pause your treatment temporarily and restart it again either at the same dose or after making some dose adjustments.1

If your treatment is stopped unexpectedly, it is important not to worry – any break will be intended to help you get better. The treatment is often only stopped temporarily.1 

We know that cancer treatment can be challenging and difficult, so a treatment break can be a way to help your body to rest and recover before you have any more treatment.2 It may give you the opportunity to recharge both emotionally and physically.3

If you have any questions about treatment breaks, or if you think you might need one, please speak to your doctor and they will be happy to answer any questions you might have. 

Reminder: Some side effects can appear a few weeks or months after you have had your last dose of treatment.4 If you do have any side effects, even if you haven’t had any treatment for a while, it is important that you report these to your healthcare team as soon as you notice them. 

References

  1. NHS. Continuation of funding for systemic anti-cancer therapy following a break in treatment. Available at: www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/continuation-of-funding-for-sact-following-a-break-in-treatment [Accessed June 2025].
  2. Cancer Research UK. Your chemotherapy plan. Available at: www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/chemotherapy/planning/your-chemotherapy-plan [Accessed June 2025].
  3. Bowel Cancer UK. Taking a break from treatment. Available at: www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/about-bowel-cancer/treatment/taking-a-break-from-treatment [Accessed June 2025].
  4. Macmillan. Late effects of cancer treatment. Available at: www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/after-treatment/late-effects-of-treatment [Accessed June 2025].