What to Expect When Getting a Port for Chemotherapy

If your care team has recommended a port, it helps to know what it is and why it is used. A port is a small, round disc that a surgeon places under your skin during a minor surgery, before your course of chemotherapy begins. It is a common way to make repeated treatment sessions and blood draws easier on your veins.

The port sits just under the skin, usually in your chest. A thin, soft tube called a catheter connects the port to a large vein, most often a vein in your chest. Your care team will talk with you about the plan and answer your questions before the day of the procedure.

Placing a port is minor surgery. The surgeon puts the port under your skin and threads the catheter into a large vein. Because it is a surgical procedure, your team will give you instructions to follow beforehand and afterward.

Most IV chemotherapy is given through a thin needle placed in a vein in the hand or lower arm. A port — like a catheter — is another way to receive chemotherapy that avoids repeated needle sticks in your arm. This can be especially helpful if your veins are hard to access, or if you will be getting treatment often over a long period of time.

Once your port is in place, a nurse can insert a needle through your skin and into the port whenever you need chemotherapy or blood work. This means the nurse does not have to find a new vein each time — the needle goes into the same port. If you are having a treatment that lasts longer than one day, the needle can stay in place in the port for the full length of treatment, rather than being removed and reinserted.

It can help to know how a port compares with other devices your team might mention:

• A port sits entirely under your skin. Nothing is outside the body, and a needle is inserted through the skin to reach it when needed.
• A catheter is also a thin tube placed into a large vein, but the end of a catheter stays outside your body rather than being covered by skin.
• A pump is a device that can be attached to control the flow and amount of chemotherapy you receive, sometimes used together with a port or catheter.

Your care team will recommend the option that fits your treatment plan, how long you will be receiving chemotherapy, and your veins.

Because a port stays under your skin for as long as your treatment continues, it is important to know the signs of infection and to tell your team right away if you notice changes around the port site. Your nurse will show you what a healthy port site looks like so you know what to watch for during your course of treatment.

The port remains in place until you finish your treatment. When your care team decides it is time, the port will be removed. Ask your team what that process involves and when you can expect it, so you know what to plan for.

Every treatment plan is different, so it helps to bring your own questions to your care team. Ask why a port is being recommended for you, what the procedure involves, and how to care for the area between sessions. No question is too small about a device that will be part of your daily life during treatment.

A port sits over a large vein, so problems there are worth acting on quickly.

• Call 911 or go to an emergency department if you get sudden chest pain or shortness of breath in the hours after the port is placed. Do not drive yourself.
• Call your care team right away, day or night, if your temperature hits 100.4°F (38°C) or higher while you are on treatment. Call right away too for chills, a sore throat, mouth sores or burning when you urinate, even with a normal temperature. CDC says a fever during chemotherapy is a medical emergency, and that fever may be the only sign of infection. If you cannot reach the team fast, go to an emergency department and tell them you are on treatment.
• Call your care team right away, day or night, if the skin over the port or the tunnel beneath it turns red, warm, swollen or leaks fluid. NCI says to watch for signs of infection around your port, and that infections during cancer treatment need urgent medical attention.
• Call your care team right away if the arm, neck or face on that side starts to swell. For emergencies call 911 or go to the ER.
• Call your care team within a day or two if the site stays sore for days after it should have settled.

Sources: National Cancer Institute — Infection and Neutropenia During Cancer Treatment; CDC — Fever During Chemotherapy.