[Clinical experience of a subcutaneously implantable drug delivery catheter (PORT-A-CATH)].
A drug delivery catheter system with subcutaneously implantable port, PORT-A-CATH, was applied for intra-arterial, intravenous and intraperitoneal chemotherapy and hyperalimentation in treating 99 cancer patients. The average implantation period was 135.1 days and this system was applied for more than one year in 5 cases. Any troubles due to port or catheter materials were not observed during the study. Catheter occlusion occurred in 11 cases infection in 7 (catheter-related infection 4, pocket infection 3), and skin necrosis in 4. This system was proved useful to reduce the risk of infection and enabled easy and safe long-term repeated administration, compared to the catheters with external end. Intra-arterial chemotherapy became possible to the outpatients with the use of this system, which seemed to contribute for the improvement of quality of life of the patients.
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007260:Infusion Pumps / Q000009:adverse effects; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial / Q000295:instrumentation; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000295:instrumentation; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral / Q000295:instrumentation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents