What Is a Chemotherapy Pump?

Chemotherapy treatment for cancer is a powerful drug therapy to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be delivered through a variety of methods, from pills to injections to intravenous (IV) drips. A chemotherapy pump is useful for certain types of chemotherapy IV treatments.

Benefits

• One of the main advantages of a chemotherapy pump is that allows for a slow, continuous rate of infusion for ongoing absorption of drugs into the blood stream, according to Chemocare.com.

Types

• There are two types of chemotherapy pumps: an external one that remains on the outside of the body in a belt holster or bag, and an internal one that is surgically placed under the skin.

Function

• Infusion pumps deliver a controlled amount of chemotherapy drugs into the blood stream through a connection to a central line or a peripherally inserted central catheter, which is a long, thin tube inserted in a vein.

Features

• Patients using a chemotherapy pump may go home during treatment, and return to the hospital only a few times during treatment, ideally. The drugs is prepared at the hospital, where the pump is set to deliver the drugs at a certain rate. The patient or family members are instructed on how to care for the pump.

Considerations

• Some pumps are battery operated and must be kept dry, so special care needs to be taken, especially when bathing. Certain varieties of pumps are disposable after use and are powered by a balloon mechanism or spring control.