This is a thin plastic tube placed into a vein in your arm or the back of your hand. It might be uncomfortable or a little painful but doesn’t usually take long. Once it’s in place the cannula is taped securely.
Chemo can then be injected slowly through the cannula. Usually a drip (bag of fluid) is attached to the cannula and the drugs are given into a rubber bung in the drip tubing. This can take from a few minutes up to about 20 minutes or so.
Some types of chemo are diluted into a drip bag and the drip is attached to the cannula. The fluid then goes into your vein over a set period of time. Sometimes you might feel a cold sensation in your arm (the drugs are kept in a fridge) but it shouldn’t feel painful or uncomfortable. Let your nurse know straight away if it is.
