Emergency & After Hours

If you experience a life-threatening medical emergency, call 911 immediately. When you arrive at the ER, ask them to call your cancer center physician.

What to Do in Emergency or After Hours

If you experience a life-threatening medical emergency, call 911 immediately. 

When you arrive at the emergency room, ask the staff to call your cancer center physician. Use the cancer center search to find your center's after hours phone number.

If you need immediate consultation or advice regarding a serious, but non-life-threatening condition, do not hesitate to call us.

If you call after business hours, the on-call physician will be paged and will respond quickly. Since your call may not be returned by your personal physician, be prepared to provide the following information:

  • Your diagnosis
  • Your chemotherapy drugs
  • Your temperature
  • Your pharmacy phone number

 

When to call Texas oncology – 24/7 care

When it comes to cancer care, our team has seen it all, but we know you haven’t. That’s why we urge you to call us first or send a portal message any time you have questions or experience new symptoms.

You’ll receive personalized care from a team that’s familiar with your medical history and treatment plan. Texas Oncology’s team of virtual triage nurses and care staff can help you on the phone or get you seen in office the same day. We can provide new medication, update your treatment plan, send out referrals, or tell you when you do need to go to the emergency room (ER).

With 24/7 access, you can get the help you need, save time, and possibly avoid a costly ER or urgent care visit. If you can be treated early, we may be able to prevent future complications.

When to Call Us

Common signs and symptoms we can help with:

  • Chills
  • Fever higher than 100.4˚F
  • Symptoms when you urinate (pee):
    • Burning
    • Needing to pee more often
    • Needing to pee very quickly
    • Lower back pain
    • Dark urine/pee
    • Less urine/pee than normal
  • Cough that brings up mucus from the lungs that is green, yellow, red, or brown in color
  • Diarrhea (needing to poop more than 3x a day) or constipation (unable to poop regularly) that does not respond to medication
  • Pain that does not respond to medication
  • Swelling, redness, or pain in the arms, hands, legs, feet, or other body parts
  • Dizziness or being light-headed when changing positions
  • Thirst or dry mouth that does not respond to water intake
  • Sores in the mouth or trouble swallowing
  • Frequent or severe heartburn
  • Severe fatigue, such as being so tired that you cannot get out of bed, perform daily tasks, or think like normal

 

When to go to the ER

If you have chest pain or trouble breathing, go to the emergency room (ER) first and then notify Texas Oncology.

Ask your care team for a wallet card that includes your medications and oncologist’s name so you can provide it to the care team at the ER.