Clinical outcomes of 295 PICC-ports implanted in cancer patients: A retrospective cohort study

PICC-ports are emerging as an alternative long-term vascular access device in oncology. However, real-world outcome data remain limited. We evaluated device survival and complication rates in a tertiary center using a standardized bundle for PICC-port insertion.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a tertiary vascular access center in France including 295 PICC-ports implanted in adult oncology patients between November 2023 and October 2025. Devices were inserted by anesthesiologists and specialized vascular access nurses according to the SIP-Port protocol. Data collected included demographics, cancer type, catheter dwell time, early and late complications, and device failures defined as removals due to device-related complications. Device survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis.

A total of 72,344 catheter-days were recorded. Mean and median device dwell times were 245.2 and 280 days respectively. The cohort consisted of 138 men (46.8%) and 157 women (53.2%), with a mean age of 64.4 years. The most common malignancies were breast cancer (28.1%), lung cancer (23.7%), and head and neck cancer (16.9%). Infection incidence was 0.15 per 1000 catheter-days and symptomatic catheter-related thrombosis occurred at 0.16 per 1000 catheter-days. Twenty-four devices (8.1%) were removed due to serious adverse events. Device survival free from serious adverse events at 365 days was 91.2%.

PICC-ports implanted by trained vascular access specialists demonstrated excellent device survival and low complication rates. These findings support the safety and reliability of PICC-ports as long-term vascular access devices for oncology patients when inserted and maintained using standardized protocols.