Intravenous (IV) Chemotherapy

Intravenous chemotherapy at a glance

• Intravenous (IV) chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that injects chemotherapy medicine directly into a patient’s vein thereby instantly entering the bloodstream.
• IV chemotherapy is the most common form of chemotherapy and is typically performed during a series of sessions over the course of weeks; each session may range from a few minutes to a few hours.
• IV chemotherapy provides versatility and flexibility in treatment dosage, and may be delivered directly into the vein as one shot, via a catheter and pump, or through a drip bag that dilutes the medication.
• The most common side effect of IV chemo is general fatigue and nausea following treatments.

What is intravenous chemotherapy?

Intravenous chemotherapy (IV chemo) is a type of chemotherapy used to treat and kill cancer cells. Delivered with an IV inserted in a large vein, usually in the arm, hand or chest, IV chemo is the most common method of chemotherapy delivery.

Intravenous chemotherapy medicines start working quicker than other forms of chemo, such as oral and topical methods, because they immediately enter the bloodstream. Delivered through an IV, the dosage may be administered for a few minutes or up to a few hours and is customized for each patient.

The treatment is typically performed in cycles lasting anywhere from one to several weeks. If a relatively large and rapid dose is delivered, known as an IV bolus, it may require a few hours at the hospital. The continuous infusions may be given over a few days or for even weeks at a time. Portable pumps deliver medicine at a slower, continuous rate.

Common IV chemotherapy delivery methods include:

• A direct needle injection into the vein.
• A catheter and pump combination; a catheter is a thin, flexible tube (also known as a cannula). One end of the catheter is placed into the vein while the other end remains outside the body. A pump is often attached to the catheter and controls how quickly the medicine is distributed.
• A drip method (intravenous infusion), usually involving a pump, dilutes the medicine first and allows it to be disturbed anywhere from 39 minutes to a few days. Mobile pumps allow patients to receive the chemotherapy medicine drip without staying in the hospital.

A relativity new device available for delivering IV chemotherapy is a venous access device (VAD). The VAD is surgically placed into a major vein and can remain in the body for extended periods of time releasing medication. VADs may be beneficial for patients who need frequent dosages or would like to reduce the number of injections.

Risks & side effects of intravenous chemotherapy

IV chemotherapy is a safe way to deliver cancer-fighting medicine, but it is not without side effects that patients should consider. The most commonly reported side effect of chemo is fatigue and nausea, and anti-nausea medications are often given prior to any chemotherapy treatment. Specific risks of IV chemotherapy include the chance of chemotherapy medicine leaking out of the catheter, which can cause burning and blistering on the skin.

Chemotherapy generally affects people in different ways depending on the type of cancer treatment and how healthy one is prior to treatment. For some patients, especially those with smaller veins or aversions to needles, the process may be more uncomfortable than other methods of chemotherapy delivery.

Chemotherapy drugs also kill normal, healthy cells. A common result of chemotherapy is hair loss because the medicine thinks fast growing cells, such as the hair cells, may also be cancer cells. Most side effects of IV chemotherapy disappear once the treatment finishes.

University care is driven by its patients, not profits.

The Division of Gynecologic Oncology at CU Anschutz provides comprehensive treatments and services for all patients.

Because the University of Colorado Anschutz is a research-backed institution, our doctors can take on even the most complex cases, and patients receive the best and most modern care available.

Patients may also participate in the many available cancer research and clinical trials.