title: Long-term femoral vein central venous access in cancer patients.
abstract: Subclavian percutaneous access with reservoir placement has been shown to be difficult or contraindicated in some patients. Of 465 cancer patients who required a port placement between January 1992 to January 1995, 41 (8.8%) had alternative percutaneous femoral access with a totally implantable port reservoir located in the abdomen because of the inaccessibility to subclavian or jugular veins and/or the presence of massive cutaneous metastases or severe radiodermitis in the upper part of the torso. Overall implant days was 9880, with an average of 241 days (range: 65-445). Ports were alternatively used for chemotherapy and nutritional purposes in 11 of 41 patients. Late morbidity causing the removal of the implanted ports was observed in two of 41 (4.9%) and 25 of 424 (5.9%) patients in the femoral and subclavian series, respectively (P = 0.86). The femoral percutaneous access for totally implantable port devices appears to be a safe alternative for cancer patients when subclavian and/or jugular vein catheterization and reservoir in the upper part of the torso is contraindicated.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical and Experimental Oncology, University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertoglio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DiSomma
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meszaros
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gipponi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cafiero
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Percivale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013350:Subclavian Vein; D013997:Time Factors