Supportive Care in Cancer, cilt.17, sa.4, ss.399-403, 2009 (SCI-Expanded)
Goals: It is generally recommended to wait for at least 24 h before starting chemotherapy after implanting venous port catheters (VPC). Our aim was to evaluate whether it is safe to start chemotherapy on the day of implantation. Patients and methods: One hundred eighty patients who had to be given chemotherapy on the day of VPC implantation at our institution from June 2005 to April 2007 were included. Main results: Of patients, 122 were male (67.8%) and median age was 55 years. Majority (133, 72.8%) had colon and gastric adenocancer. Median time to chemotherapy onset from VPC implantation was 102 min (minimum-maximum, 12-402). One hundred sixty-four (91.1%) received prolonged chemotherapy infusions beyond 48 h. No life-threatening acute complications like pneumothorax and hemothorax developed. In one patient extravasation (empty saline extravasation secondary to wrong insertion of the needle), in 17 (9.4%) pain, and in 41 (22.8%) minor bleeding as echymosis were seen. Thrombosis developed in 11 (6.1%). Reasons for VPC removal were thrombosis (2), sepsis (2), cellulitis (1), skin dehiscence (1), and patient will (1). Conclusion: Chemotherapy administration immediately after VPC implantation appears safe without increased acute and chronic complications in inpatient setting. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.