Comparison of chemotherapy treatment administration via venous port and peripheral vascular access in terms of quality of life and costs

PURPOSE: In this study, it was aimed to compare the administration of chemotherapy drugs via venous port catheter and peripheral vein in metastatic colon cancer patients in terms of quality of life and treatment costs. METHODS: The research was carried out in a university hospital in Turkey. The population of the study consists of 130 patients with metastatic colon cancer who were treated with chemotherapy. The sample of the study consists of 103 participants. During the data collection phase of the study, three data collection tools were used: demographic information form, EOTC QLQ-30 quality of life scale and invoices for treatments. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel and IBM SPSS 20 package programs. RESULTS: In the study, 71.8% of the participants received chemotherapy with a venous port catheter, 65% for more than 3 months, 56.3% in the day unit. As a result of the study, it was found that there were no significant differences in the quality of life (except social function) according to the chemotherapy method. In addition, when the research results are examined in terms of cost, statistically significant differences were found in the treatment cost (except total costs excluding drugs) according to the chemotherapy application method. CONCLUSION: In line with these results, it is thought that when choosing the chemotherapy application method, factors such as the treatment duration of the patients, the ease of opening the vascular access, and the patient's psychological state should be taken into consideration.