Medical Oncologist
Emergency preparedness
Emergency Contact Card: — What to Keep in Your Wallet
If you arrive at any hospital alone or unable to speak, a card in your wallet tells the emergency team everything they need in the first minute. Carry one from the day treatment starts.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla, Medical Oncologist, MBBS · MD · DM (Adyar, Chennai) · ECMO · MRCP SCE (UK) · Last reviewed August 2026
- Fever on chemotherapy is an emergency — Go to the nearest emergency department now. Do not wait for a callback.
- The card speaks for you when you cannot — Your diagnosis, current drugs and allergies allow treatment to begin immediately.
- Know which tier your symptom is in — Some symptoms need the emergency department. Others need a same-day call to your oncology team.
- Ask your nurse to check it each visit — Drug names need to be exact. Your team can verify the card in two minutes.
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Every patient on active cancer treatment should carry a wallet card listing their diagnosis, current treatment drugs, known allergies, their oncologist's name and a direct helpline number for their oncology team. If you have a fever during chemotherapy, severe breathlessness, chest pain or uncontrolled bleeding, go to the nearest emergency department now — do not wait for a callback.
If a symptom below applies to you, do not wait for a callback. Call 1800-202-8726 or go to your nearest emergency department.
When should you call your oncology team instead of going to emergency?
Call the helpline number on your card when the symptom is new but not yet severe: mild nausea stopping you from eating, a new rash, loose motions that have increased over the past 24 hours, or a wound that looks inflamed.
Your team will tell you whether to come in the same day, go to emergency, or watch the symptom at home. If you cannot reach them within 30 minutes and the symptom is worsening, go to emergency and show your card.
Any emergency doctor can read your card and call your oncologist directly. You do not need to explain your full treatment history from memory.
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Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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Medical Oncologist
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Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
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Radiation Oncologist
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Dr. Mohammed Imran
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
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Not sure whether this counts as an emergency?
Call the helpline. It is always better to check than to wait.
Which symptoms need the emergency department and which need a call?
| Symptom or sign | Go to emergency department now | Call your oncology team today |
|---|---|---|
| Fever | Any fever during chemotherapy or immunotherapy — go immediately | Low-grade fever that has fully settled — mention at your next call |
| Breathlessness | Sudden onset, or unable to speak in full sentences | New breathlessness that is mild and has not changed over a few hours |
| Bleeding | Uncontrolled, or blood in vomit or coughed up | Small or unexpected bleeding that has stopped on its own |
| Chest pain | Any — go now | — |
| Confusion or drowsiness | Any — call an ambulance | — |
| Pain | Severe and not relieved by your prescribed medicines | New pain or pain that is slowly increasing over days |
| Nausea or vomiting | Unable to keep any fluids down | Nausea affecting your ability to eat or drink normally |
| Typically starts | Risk is highest in the days following each chemotherapy cycle, but emergencies can arise at any point during treatment | — |
What to write on your emergency card
- Your full name and date of birth
- Your diagnosis — cancer type, primary site and current stage
- Current treatment — exact drug names and your current cycle number (ask your nurse to fill this in)
- Known allergies — medicines, contrast dye, latex
- Your oncologist's name and hospital
- Your oncology team's direct helpline number
- One family member's name and mobile number
- Your blood group, if known
- Other conditions being treated — diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease
- All other medicines, including supplements, ayurvedic preparations and over-the-counter drugs
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Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Does every cancer patient need to carry an emergency card?
Any patient on active systemic treatment — chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy — benefits most from carrying one. The risk of an emergency is highest during active treatment, and the card is most useful when you are in an unfamiliar hospital, travelling, or unable to speak for yourself. If you have finished treatment and are in surveillance, ask your oncologist when you can stop carrying it.
What should I say when I arrive at an emergency department that does not know about my cancer?
Hand them your card and say clearly: 'I am on cancer treatment.' If you have a fever, add: 'I may have neutropenic fever.' Those words move you into a different triage category in most hospitals. If you are too unwell to speak, the card does this for you. Your oncologist's contact number is on the card — emergency staff can call directly.
How often should I update the card?
Update it at the start of every new treatment cycle or whenever your drugs change. An out-of-date card can mislead an emergency doctor as much as no card at all. Ask your oncology nurse to check the drug names at each visit — it takes two minutes and matters most if you are ever treated somewhere unfamiliar.
Should I include my ayurvedic or herbal medicines on the card?
Yes. Several herbal and ayurvedic preparations interact with chemotherapy drugs and affect clotting and liver function. An emergency doctor needs to know about all of them, not only your prescribed cancer medicines. Write them by name. If you are unsure of the exact name, bring the bottle or packet to your next appointment and ask your nurse to note it on the card.