The short answer
An implanted port sits under the skin, most often in the chest. Needle access uses a special needle, and a port that is not in use still needs flushing on a schedule your team sets.
A port sits under the skin, most often in the chest, and can stay in place for months or years.
Ask your team how long to keep the incision dry and when you can bathe or swim. ACS says you can once it has healed and the port is not being accessed.
When not in use, a port still needs flushing now and then to keep it working. MedlinePlus says about once a month, so ask your team for your schedule.
A numbing cream can ease the needle stick. Ask your team about it and when to put it on.
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This page is for people getting a chemo port and the family members who help them. It covers what a port is, how to care for it, and when to call for help.
What a port actually is
An implanted port is a small reservoir placed under the skin, most often in the chest, with a soft tube threaded into a large vein. Nothing sticks out. When it is not in use you feel a bump under the skin and see a short scar. MedlinePlus says it is put in during a minor surgery. You may be put to sleep, or you may stay awake with medicine to relax you and numb the area. A port can be used for a long time.
The first weeks
MedlinePlus says you may be sore for a few days after the port is placed. Ask your team how long to keep the incision dry, when you can shower or bathe, and what lifting and exercise limits apply. Check with your provider before contact sports.
Many people find the seatbelt sits directly on the site. The American Cancer Society suggests a special cushion or pad over the site. Sleeping on that side may be uncomfortable for a while.
Being accessed
Each time the port is used, a trained provider puts a special needle through the skin into the port. This is called accessing. A numbing cream can be used on the skin over the port to ease the needle stick. Ask your team about it, and ask when to put it on.
When the needle comes out at the end of treatment, that is being deaccessed. A sterile dressing is used while the port is accessed. Between uses, nothing sticks out and there is no dressing to manage.
Flushing and maintenance
The port is flushed before and after each use. When you are not in active treatment it still needs flushing now and then to keep it working. MedlinePlus says about once a month, to help prevent clots. Ask your team how often yours is due. If treatment pauses, make sure someone owns that appointment.
Everyday life
Once the incision has healed, showering, bathing and swimming are fine with a port that is not accessed (American Cancer Society). MedlinePlus adds to wait until your provider says you are ready. That freedom is the main reason people who need months of treatment often prefer a port. Backpack straps, shoulder bags and bra straps that cross the site are frequent complaints and usually solved by moving the strap.
What people commonly say afterwards
The most repeated themes are relief at not being stuck repeatedly for IVs, mild ongoing awareness of the bump, and a period of adjusting to seeing it in the mirror. Some people find it a visible reminder of treatment and cover it; others stop noticing. Both reactions are ordinary. The scar fades but usually remains faintly visible.
When to call
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department if the arm, shoulder, neck or face on the side of the port swells. This can mean a clot in the vein. Go right away, and call 911, if breathing becomes hard or the face looks puffy and flushed. If the incision opens up, go to an emergency department too, and cover it with a clean dressing on the way. Do not drive yourself.
If you are on chemotherapy, call your care team right away, at any hour, for a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher or for shaking chills. CDC says to call your doctor immediately for 100.4°F (38°C) or higher (CDC). If you cannot reach your team, go to the nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a call back. A sore throat, new mouth sores, or burning when you urinate also need a right-away call, even with a normal temperature (CDC).
Contact your team right away, at any hour, for any of these (MedlinePlus):
- Pain or discomfort at the port site, or pain that is getting worse.
- Redness, warmth or swelling at the site, or red streaks around it.
- Yellow or green drainage from the site.
- A port that seems to have moved.
- A port that cannot be accessed, or fluid that will not flush.
Report a needle that feels wet at the skin during an infusion straight away, because that can mean the drug is leaking outside the vein.
Removal
MedlinePlus says your provider will remove the port when you no longer need it. Ask your oncologist how long they want to keep it in after treatment finishes.
Sources
Common questions
How often does a port need flushing if I am not in treatment?
MedlinePlus says a port needs flushing about once a month to help prevent clots. ACS says a port that is not used for a while needs flushing now and then. Ask your team how often yours is due. If your treatment pauses, make sure someone is responsible for booking that appointment.
Does having the port accessed hurt?
The American Cancer Society notes that a numbing cream is sometimes used on the skin over the port before the needle goes in. Ask your team about it, and ask when to put it on.
Can I swim with a port?
Once the incision has healed, the American Cancer Society notes that showering, bathing and swimming are all fine with a port that is not accessed. MedlinePlus adds to wait until your provider says you are ready. When the port is accessed, a needle and a sterile dressing are in place, so ask your team how to protect them.
What do people find hardest in the first couple of weeks?
MedlinePlus says you may be sore for a few days. The seatbelt may sit on the site, and the American Cancer Society suggests a special cushion or pad over it. Check with your provider about contact sports, and ask what lifting and exercise limits apply while it heals.
When does the port come out?
MedlinePlus says your provider will remove it when you no longer need it. Ask your oncologist how long they plan to keep yours.
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Written by: Cancer ExplainedSources last checked: 2026-08-13 what this meansLast updated: 2026-09-29Next planned review: 2027-01-30
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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