Weekly Taxol without a line?

Hello everyone,

I’m due to start weekly Taxol in a couple of weeks’ time and my onc has suggested I should get a PICC line, but for some irrational reason, the idea of this just freaks me out (yeah, right! 'Cause that’s the main thing for me to worry about… NOT!!!). Anyway, seeing my face when she brought this up, she then said I could start using my veins and see how I get on… I’m going to do 9 doses in all (3 x 3 weeks on and 1 week off), then get a CT scan to see if it’s working. I’ve had ANC, so can only use one arm and my veins didn’t do so well the first time I had IV chemo, but that was 9 years ago, so plenty of time to recover!

So I’d just like to know whether anyone has managed to do this without a line and how your veins held up. Let me have the good, the bad and the ugly on this one - am I kidding myself that I can do this without a PICC?

Thank you! Angelfalls xx

Is it possible for you to have a portacath instead. Am I right in thinking that a PICC line is above the skin?

I had a portacath put in for my 8 chemo sessions and 12 months of Herceptin and it has been the best thing ever. Because it is under the skin there is nothing to worry about in terms of infection etc.

The only downside is it sticks out a bit through my skin. Am due to have it taken out in a couple of weeks when I am back from holiday.

I had one chemo session through my vein and personally, never again.

I haven’t got a line and I had weekly tax, 6 x FEC and still have iv zometa every 6 weeks. I suppose I am lucky

Hi af,

you can always start off without one and see how you get on. I managed without one for 2 cycles and then I just found the stabbing too much. (My veins aren’t very good to start off). So had my 3rd cycle delayed by a day to get a PICC fitted. I got used to it after a week.

Now, if ever I’m going back on IV chemo, I don’t think I can manage without one.

M x

From my experience of EC and of weekly Taxol, I found the Taxol easier on the veins than the EC.
(But I did only have 5 of the planned 18 cycles of Taxol, then a scan showed progression :frowning: )

I hope you can find a good solution to your difficulty - and that the Taxol is effective for you!

Thank you all for your comments. I’m inclined to give it a go without the PICC to start with, at least. And then if I find there are too many problems getting a good vein, I’ll ask about the portacath option. Just something about having those lines there as a very visible reminder that I’m a cancer patient… You know what it’s like! Have a good weekend, Angelfalls xx