Where is chemotherapy injected

This should include out-of-hours contact details for evenings, during the night or the weekend. Some cancer centres have a hour number you can call at any time for advice.

In Scotland, you may be given the number of the Cancer Treatment Helpline. It is very important to keep the numbers somewhere safe and to follow the contact advice you have been given by the chemotherapy nurse or cancer doctor. You could save the numbers in:. How chemotherapy is given. Chemotherapy can be given in different ways depending on the type of cancer you have and your treatment plan. On this page. Where you have chemotherapy Depending on the type of chemotherapy, people may have it in different places: in a chemotherapy day unit or outpatient clinic during a stay in hospital at home.

Chemotherapy day units Chemotherapy drugs into a vein intravenous are usually given to you by nurses in a chemotherapy day unit. But you may have to wait: for blood tests results for your chemotherapy drugs to be prepared and checked to see your cancer doctor. You can take things with you to help pass the time like a book, music or playing cards. Chemotherapy in hospital Some chemotherapy treatments are more complicated or take longer.

Chemotherapy at home Sometimes, specialist chemotherapy nurses visit people at home to give intravenous chemotherapy. If you are having chemotherapy at home as tablets or through a pump, there are certain things to remember: Store your medicines safely Chemotherapy tablets, capsules or injections may need to be stored in a particular way, such as in the fridge.

Always follow the instructions given by your nurse or pharmacist. Be aware of other people at home Other people in your household should avoid direct contact with your chemotherapy drugs and avoid picking them up with bare hands. All drugs must be stored out of the reach of children, as they could cause serious harm if taken by accident. Follow instructions if your pump leaks If you are having intravenous chemotherapy by pump and you notice the drug leaking from the pump or tube, you should close the clamps on the pump, wrap it in a plastic bag and wash your hands.

Some hospitals provide a spill or leakage kit, which includes instructions on what to do if your pump leaks. You should then contact the nurse or doctor at the hospital straight away. Keep your contact numbers close by If you feel unwell at any time of the day or night, use the contact numbers you have been given to get advice.

Chemotherapy into a vein Chemotherapy drugs given into a vein intravenously can be delivered in different ways. It can be given through: a cannula — a short, thin tube put into a vein in your arm or the back of your hand a central line — a long, thin tube inserted into a vein in your chest a PICC peripherally inserted central venous catheter put into a vein in the arm and threaded through to a vein in the chest an implantable port portacath put into a vein, with an opening port under the skin on your chest or arm.

As an injection The chemotherapy drugs are injected directly into a vein through your cannula or central line over a few minutes.

As a drip through pump The chemotherapy drugs are dissolved in a bag of fluid and given to you as a drip that runs through an infusion pump. As a drip on its own Sometimes chemotherapy is given through a drip without a pump. Through a small portable pump Some types of chemotherapy are given over a few days and are set up at the hospital, so you can go home with it. If a chemotherapy drug leaks If a drug leaks into the area around the vein while being given, this is called extravasation.

Other ways of having chemotherapy There are other ways you can have chemotherapy, apart from into a vein intravenously. By mouth oral chemotherapy. It is very important to: read the labels on the drug boxes before you leave the hospital and speak to your nurse, doctor or pharmacist if any instructions are unclear take your drugs exactly as prescribed, because not taking them at the right times can affect how well treatment works contact your nurse or doctor at the hospital straight away for advice if you cannot take your medicines for any reason, are sick after taking them, or have forgotten to take a dose.

Injection into a muscle or skin. This type of treatment is somewhat controversial because even though the tumor concentrations of the medication are higher, the decrease in cancer has not been demonstrated. There are three ways to deliver intraperitoneal chemotherapy:.

Intra-arterial drugs are given into the artery that is supplying the blood to the tumor. Angiography, a special x-ray that uses dye so that the blood vessels can be seen, is used to locate the arteries that supply blood to the tumor.

There are two ways of giving medications intra-arterially:. Intravesicular medications are given with the use of a urinary catheter directly into the bladder. Chemotherapy can be given into the pleural cavity the space between the lung and the lining of the lung.

Intrapleural chemotherapy is used to control malignant pleural effusions. A malignant pleural effusion is an accumulation of cancerous fluid in the pleural space.

The fluid may cause the lung to collapse, making breathing more difficult. Draining the fluid will help, but the fluid will usually come back unless intrapleural chemotherapy is given.

This procedure is also known as sclerosis or pleurodesis. But it is still very experimental and not widely used. Research is going on into using this type of chemotherapy for head and neck cancers and some other cancers. Where you have chemotherapy depends on the type of chemotherapy and on what care and support you need when you're having it.

Chemotherapy drugs cause side effects. Find out more about the general side effects of chemotherapy drugs. Find out about living with chemotherapy, including how it might affect your everyday life and how to handle socialising and holidays. About Cancer generously supported by Dangoor Education since Questions about cancer? Call freephone 9 to 5 Monday to Friday or email us. Skip to main content. Home About cancer General cancer information Treatment for cancer Chemotherapy How you have chemotherapy Other ways of having chemotherapy.

The best way for you depends on: the type of cancer you have where the cancer is in the body the particular drug or drugs you're having Your cancer type. Read more about these ways of having chemotherapy. Content not working due to cookie settings. Manage your cookie settings here.

Most injections come in prefilled syringes. More about having a lumbar puncture. Find your cancer type. Find out more about Kaposi's sarcoma. Many types of chemo are given as an infusion or injection. With chemo infusions, chemotherapy drugs are put into your body through a thin tube called a catheter that's placed in a vein, artery, body cavity, or body part. In some cases, a chemo drug may be injected quickly with a syringe. Here you'll learn about the different types of injectable chemo.

The information below describes traditional or standard chemotherapy. There are also other drugs that are used to treat cancer in different ways, including targeted therapy , hormone therapy, and immunotherapy. Intravenous or IV chemo is put right into your bloodstream through a tiny, soft, plastic tube called a catheter. A needle is used to put the catheter into a vein in your forearm or hand; then the needle is taken out, leaving the catheter behind.

The needles and catheters can scar and damage veins with ongoing chemo. One option that might be offered to patients who need chemo for an extended period of time is a central venous catheter CVC. Different kinds of CVCs are available.

Putting in the CVC requires a minor surgical procedure.