Types of Chemotherapy Catheters

Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment. The drugs destroy cancer cells by stopping them from growing. It can cure cancer, ease the symptoms or control the cancer. It can be given in a variety of different ways such as pills, injections and catheters. Catheters are easy and convenient for patients, and they do not have to keep getting stuck over and over if the treatment will be for a long time.

Catheters

• A catheter is a tube that is surgically or nonsurgically placed into a large vein, most often on the upper body. The other end of the tube hangs on the outside of the skin. They are used for the chemotherapy, other medicines and drawing blood while the patient is on chemotherapy treatment. These catheters have to be monitored for signs and symptoms of infections.

PICC line catheters

• The first type of catheter is a PICC line. This is a temporary catheter that is placed in a large vein on the arm. It is guided through the vein into the superior vena cava of the heart. This line can be used from weeks to a few months. It is done at the bedside or as an outpatient nonsurgical procedure. After it is placed, an X-ray can confirm that it is in the correct position. This is usually good for short-term infusions, according to chemocare.com.

Angiocatheters

• Another catheter type is an angiocatheter. This can be placed in a vein in either the arm or the hand. It is removed once the chemotherapy is completed. It is a temporary access that can be inserted at the bedside by a nurse right before the treatment and then taken out after the dose of medicine is done. This type is usually used as a one-time catheter or for a few days.

Nontunneled catheters

• Nontunneled catheters are placed through the skin and into either the jugular vein in the neck or subclavian vein in the upper chest. These catheters travel through those veins and into the superior vena cava of the heart. This is also a nonsurgical catheter type and can be put into the patient at the bedside. An X-ray has to confirm placement. They are temporary catheters used in emergency situations and for short periods of time because they have high risk for infections.

Tunneled catheters

• Tunneled catheters go directly through the skin and into the superior vena cava. These are done surgically and an X-ray has to be done to confirm that it is in the right position. This type of catheter can remain in place for months to years because it has a low incidence of infection. It has multiple small tubes attached to the end so different medicines can be given at the same time and blood can also be drawn from it.