[Completely implantable catheters for anticancer chemotherapy. A French experience of 325 cases]

Three hundred and twenty five implantable catheters (PAC) were used in the treatment of 319 patients with neoplastic disease in 21 French centers. Two hundred and sixty three were inserted in central venous position, 43 in hepatic artery and 11 were intraportal. There were no failures at the time of insertion nor any deaths imputable to the method. Whilst the mean duration of use was 182 days, 72 catheters remain patent after one year of use or more. The risk of obstruction is 3,6% : 1,5% for I.V. sites and 13,9% in intra-arterial because internal caliber are smaller. There were 2,4%, of cases of skin leakage or necrosis and sepsis rate was 2,7%, more frequent er after percutaneous insertion. These result justify the use of this device in long term chemotherapy.