INTRODUCTION: Obtaining central venous access is one of the most commonly performed procedures in cancer patients. However, there are very limited data to guide clinicians when selecting a device for metastatic colorectal cancer patients who received cetuximab.
CASE DESCRIPTION: A 54-year-old male patient with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with cetuximab plus FOLFIRI used peripherally inserted central catheter as intravenous pathway. After eight cycles, the patient suffered cetuximab-induced grade 2 skin toxicity and grade 3 contact dermatitis at the peripherally inserted central catheter insertion site. Finally, he removed the peripherally inserted central catheter and accepted subcutaneous port instead for 2 years without implantation cutaneous complication.
CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with cetuximab should be recommended to choose subcutaneous port preferentially to avoid potential risk of unexpected peripherally inserted central catheter removal due to cetuximab-induced skin toxicity or contact dermatitis. Further clinical practices and researches are needed for more profound evidences for better practical suggestions.
Reference:Yang, H., Rui, Y. and Wang, G. (2020) A case of unexpected peripherally inserted central catheter removal from a colorectal cancer patient with cetuximab-induced skin toxicity and contact dermatitis at the peripherally inserted central catheter insertion site: Should we recommend the patient to choose subcutaneous port preferentially? The Journal of Vascular Access. 2020 Mar 13:1129729820910880. doi: 10.1177/1129729820910880. (Epub ahead of print).