Comparison of Clinical Follow-up and Complications according to Cancer Types in Patients with Permanent Port Catheter Insertion due to Malignancy

Aim: In patients diagnosed with cancer, port catheter insertion is of critical importance for the appropriate delivery of the treatment and patient comfort. Aim of this study is to compare the patients placed subcutaneous port catheter in terms of the complications and the port remaining open based on cancer types. Material and Methods: A total of 530 patients who had port catheter insertion in our clinic for chemotherapy between January 2011 and December 2017 were included into the study. Of the cases, 234 (44.1%) were female and 296 (55.9%) were male; and the mean age was 57.90±10.18 years. The port catheters were placed subcutaneously under vascular ultrasonography and the position of the catheter was checked using fluoroscopy. Patients underwent physical examination to check for hemorrhage or hematoma, and underwent chest x-ray to check for pneumothorax or hemothorax. Patients were called in for checkup for wound-site infection and port thrombosis on the postoperative 10th and 30th days. Results: The majority of the patients who had port insertion were being followed up for gastrointestinal malignancies. Of the patients, 224 (42.2%) had port catheter insertion due to colon cancer, 68 (12.8%) due to breast cancer, and 111 (20.9%) due to gastric cancer. Frequency of catheter thrombosis was statistically higher in cases with colon and breast cancer. Wound site infection was observed more frequently in hematological malignancies. Conclusion: We suggest that, after port insertion, these complications can be reduced by using prophylactic anticoagulants for long-term port use in cases with breast and colon cancer, and by continuing empirical antibiotic treatment against endemic pathogens in cases with hematological cancers