Port problem

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
nmorgen
Posts: 82
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2022 10:31 am

Port problem

Postby nmorgen » Tue Dec 20, 2022 10:03 pm

Hi everyone,

I mentioned this in my immunotherapy topic, but I thought maybe more people would see it if I started a new topic. My husband had his port catch put in Nov 15th. It healed pretty well. At least the skin looked closed. He had his first infusion Dec 1st. The 2nd day after the infusion the corner of the opening started leaking. By the next day a hole formed in the middle and started leaking. The next day another hole appeared and the first leak turned into a hole. They told us to put antibiotic cream and a bandage over it. The holes just kept getting bigger. By the time he went for his 2 nd infusion yesterday the holes were so big you could see the port clearly. They called a surgeon in and he removed it. He said it was basically coming out on its own. Has anyone experienced this? Could it have been the immunotherapy?
Last edited by nmorgen on Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
DH age 47
DX 10/22 stage 4
2 tumors in sigmoid colon 2 Mets liver
adenocarcinoma
MSI-H, TMB-H 38, KRAS G13V, ERBB2 neg, BRCA2, Lynch Syndrome
Grade 1 well differentiated
12/1/22 Yervoy and Opdivo CEA 5.4
12/19/22 Yervoy & Opdivo CEA 4.6
01/12/22 Yervoy & Opdivo CEA 3.9
2/13/23 Yervoy& Opdivo CEA 3.4
3/7/23 ct scans no change
3/9/23 Opdivo CEA 3.4
4/4/23 Opdivo CEA 2.3
6/1/23 Opdivo CEA 2.6

User avatar
CRguy
Posts: 10473
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:00 pm

Re: Port problem

Postby CRguy » Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:52 am

You may need to search the forum a bit for more info from others ... BUTT ...
I had no issues with my Bard power port implanted by a vascular surgeon for chemo,
removed about 3 years later.

From what you describe ... I am NOT your doctor ... BUTT ...
it sounds to me like it could be an issue with port type / insertion placement procedure / position issues ???

I kind of doubt immunotherapy issues.

JMO
Cheers and best wishes
CRguy
Caregiver x 4
Stage IV A rectal cancer/lung met
17 Year survivor
my life is an ongoing totally randomized UNcontrolled experiment with N=1 !
Review of my Journey so far

User avatar
Jacques
Posts: 678
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2014 10:38 am
Location: Occitanie

Re: Port problem

Postby Jacques » Wed Dec 21, 2022 2:11 am

nmorgen wrote:... Has anyone experienced this? Could it have been the immunotherapy?

In a previous post, nmorgen wrote:...Has anyone heard of this happening?

Hi nmorgen -

Essentially, you have asked only 2 questions about your DH's port problem.

Here are my answers to your two questions:

... Has anyone experienced this?

    Yes, this has happened before.
.
...Could it have been the immunotherapy?

    Probably not. Products infused through a port fall mainly  into three possible categories, "vesicant", "irritant", and "neutral".  Standard chemo infusions like FOLFOX, FOLFIRI, etc., generally fall in the category "irritant" or sometimes "vesicant". However biological cancer drugs like Avastin (bevacizumab) and other monoclonal antibody preparations fall in the category of "neutral".  Your DH is taking the monoclonal antibodies Opdivo (nivolumab) and  Yervoy (ipilimumab). Given the context, it seems unlikely that "vesicant" or "irritant" was the cause. **

    If you want to know more about vesicants, irritants, and neutral infusions, you can read about it here:

    Vesicant & Irritant Chemotherapy
    https://hemonc.org/wiki/Vesicant_%26_irritant_chemotherapy
-----
** Added later:
    YERVOY® (ipilimumab)
    5.2 Infusion-Related Reactions
    ...
    Infusion- related reactions occurred in 5% (33/666) of patients who received YERVOY 1 mg/kg  with nivolumab for the treatment of RCC or CRC.
    ...
    Reference:
    http://packageinserts.bms.com/pi/pi_yervoy.pdf


    OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with Yervoy(ipilimumab) 1 mg/kg
    ...
    Infusion-related reactions occurred in 5.1% (28/547) of patients with RCC and 4.2% (5/119) of patients with CRC who received OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with ipilimumab 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, respectively.
    ...
    Reference:
    https://packageinserts.bms.com/pi/pi_opdivo.pdf

Last edited by Jacques on Wed Dec 21, 2022 4:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

nmorgen
Posts: 82
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2022 10:31 am

Re: Port problem

Postby nmorgen » Wed Dec 21, 2022 2:34 am

That is very informative Jacques, thank you.

https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/canc ... iLqSmJkVr8

This is an article I found and I am wondering if the ipo/novo caused his immune system to attack the site of the port. The more lymph it leaked the bigger the holes got. It also never bled. I was actually hoping it would bleed a little and help close the holes, but it never happened. I’m not too happy about the wound care now. It couldn’t be closed in case it got infected. So for who knows how long we have to pack it with gauze and saline.

Thanks for the insight and info.
DH age 47
DX 10/22 stage 4
2 tumors in sigmoid colon 2 Mets liver
adenocarcinoma
MSI-H, TMB-H 38, KRAS G13V, ERBB2 neg, BRCA2, Lynch Syndrome
Grade 1 well differentiated
12/1/22 Yervoy and Opdivo CEA 5.4
12/19/22 Yervoy & Opdivo CEA 4.6
01/12/22 Yervoy & Opdivo CEA 3.9
2/13/23 Yervoy& Opdivo CEA 3.4
3/7/23 ct scans no change
3/9/23 Opdivo CEA 3.4
4/4/23 Opdivo CEA 2.3
6/1/23 Opdivo CEA 2.6


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 103 guests

cron