Am I a good candidate for an implanted venous access device?

 

Q: Am I a good candidate for an implanted venous access device? 

A: A venous access device, or VAD, is a catheter or port that is surgically placed in your body to give access to a major vein. These devices are often used with patients who are receiving long-term chemotherapy, chemotherapy that is infused by a portable pump over days, frequent blood tests, transfusions, or other treatment-related care. Some patients on chemotherapy receive VAD implants, others don't.

Whether you will have a VAD depends upon your treatment plan, the physical condition of your veins, and other factors your doctor will consider. While you're in treatment, your VAD will need to be flushed after each session to keep it from becoming clogged. After treatment ends, you'll need to have it flushed every 4 to 6 weeks.
--Bernice Crook, RN, OCN

Cancer patients have greater risk of blood clots, but can watch for danger signals.

This content was last reviewed August 15, 2010 by Dr. Reshma L. Mahtani.
Latest Cancer News
REFILE: Komen charity under microscope for funding, science

February 8, 2012 — NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity defines its mission as finding a cure for breast cancer. In recent years, however, it has cut by nearly half the proportion of fund-raising dollars it spends on grants to scientists working to understand the causes and develop effective new treatments for the disease.

US FDA panel votes against wider use of Amgen drug

February 8, 2012 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An advisory panel on Wednesday recommended that U.S. health regulators reject the use of Amgen Inc's drug Xgeva to delay the spread of prostate cancer to the bone, dimming the chance of a wider use for one of the company's key growth drivers.

US consumers want tougher probe of engineered salmon

February 8, 2012 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. consumer groups petitioned the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to subject a new genetically engineered salmon to a more rigorous review process than is now in place before the fish can be approved as safe to eat.

Select news items provided by Reuters Health