# Technical Feasibility and Safety of Central Venous Ports for Intravenous Chemotherapy in Infants With Retinoblastoma: A Retrospective Study

## TL;DR

This study shows that central venous ports are a safe and effective option for giving chemotherapy to infants with retinoblastoma.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence on the technical feasibility and safety of central venous ports in infants.

## Key findings

- All 18 infants had successful CVP implantation without procedure-related complications.
- The infection rate was low at 5.6% with only one catheter-related bloodstream infection.
- CVPs remained in place for an average of 713 days with minimal complications.

## Abstract

Purpose: The central venous port (CVP) is widely used for intravenous chemotherapy (IVC) in adult patients because of its lower infection rates and easier management than that of a central venous catheter. However, the feasibility and safety of the CVP for IVC in infants remain unknown. This study evaluated the usefulness of CVP for IVC in infants with retinoblastoma.

Methods: The usefulness of CVP was retrospectively evaluated using technical success rates, the safety of CVP placement, and postoperative procedure-related complications in 18 infants with retinoblastoma. This study was conducted at the National Cancer Center Hospital, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Results: The technical success rate was 100% (18/18) without any procedure-related complications. The sum duration of CVP implantation was 12,836 days (mean: 713 ± 453 days, range: 10-1,639 days). Postoperative complications were observed in two cases; one was a port reversal after 20 days, which was reversed by incisional surgery, and another was a catheter-related bloodstream infection after eight days, resulting in CVP removal. The total incidence of CVP-related infections was 5.6% (1/18) and 0.08/1000 catheter days. No other CVP-related complications were noted.

Conclusion: The use of the CVP for IVC in infants with retinoblastoma was feasible with few complications.