Chemotherapy is the use of medications to kill cancer cells, and has become an integral part of treatment for many cancers. There are various ways chemotherapy can be administered, including topically, orally, subcutaneously and intravenously. Intravenous chemotherapy allows the medication to quickly be dispersed throughout the body, and ports are often used with this type of chemotherapy. Ports can help protect your veins from wear and tear, reduce the amount of needle sticks you receive and allow several drugs to be given simultaneously. There are different kinds of ports that can depend on the length and type of treatment you get.
Implantable Venous Access Port
This kind of port has also been referred to as a Port-a-Cath or Medi-port, according to the American Cancer Society. This port is shaped like a drum and made out of titanium, plastic or stainless steel. It's placed under the skin in the chest or upper arm, and the catheter that's attached goes into a central vein. It's used for long-term chemotherapy, and can be used by placing a non-coring needle through the skin into the port.
Tunneled Central Venous Catheter
This kind of port is better known as a Hickman or Broviac, and is surgically placed in a central vein in the chest. There are multiple openings in the catheter, and though the catheter is under the skin, there are tubes that hang outside the body where the medicine is placed. This kind of port can be used for months to years.
PICC Line
This is a temporary kind of port that can be used for weeks to months. A plastic catheter is threaded into a large vein in the arm, and the placement of the catheter is confirmed by fluoroscopy, a certain kind of X-ray. This kind of port is typically used for groups of short infusions of chemotherapy, or continuous infusions given with a pump at home.
Intraperitoneal Ports
In intraperitoneal chemotherapy, a port is implanted in the abdomen, or a catheter known as a Tenckhoff catheter is placed in the abdomen. The chemotherapy is given through the port or catheter and goes into the abdomen, and is absorbed in the blood.
