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Can port-a-caths limit exercise?

Page last modified on: September 11, 2008
Question from Ruta319: Do port-a-caths in any way limit the type/amount of exercise that one can do?
Answers —Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D.: A port-a-cath is a plastic tube that the surgeon inserts into a woman's large vein so she can receive chemotherapy on an ongoing basis.
Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: If you have a catheter that sticks out of your skin, you shouldn't swim.
Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D.: We also recommend that you not do upper body exercise in the area where you have the port-a-cath. Avoid strength training that would use the chest muscles.
Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: If you have the type of "port" that lies beneath the skin's surface, swimming is not a problem. But you may want to limit any exercise that causes stress on that region.

On Wednesday, May 21, 2003, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Taking Care of Yourself. Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D. and Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about exercise and nutrition, and other things you can do to nurture your body, along with strategies for finding emotional support, boosting your mood, and feeling good again.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D.Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D. is a member of the Cancer Prevention Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, where she is director of the prevention center.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

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