Intravenous infusion treatment (a drip into a vein) (Intravenous (IV) infusion therapy in medical oncology)
Giving cancer medicine straight into a vein through a drip, so it can travel in the bloodstream to reach cancer cells around the body.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- An IV infusion is a way of giving cancer medicine into a vein so it travels around the body — it is a delivery method, not one fixed treatment.
- What it can do depends entirely on the drug and your situation; the aim may be to cure, to reduce the chance of return, or to control the cancer and ease symptoms.
- Most courses run over weeks or months, and how well it is working is judged over time with scans and blood tests, not from one session.
- Some side effects are urgent — a temperature, shivering or feeling unwell after treatment can mean a serious infection and needs the 24-hour helpline straight away.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your specialist will give you advice for your situation.
Delivers medicine into the bloodstream quickly and reliably, so the dose is not affected by absorption from the gut.
When tests show the cancer is unlikely to respond to the available infusion drugs, so the burden would outweigh the benefit.
You sit or lie while the drip runs. Tell staff at once about any flushing, breathlessness, itching, shivering or pain at the needle site.
A named contact and a 24-hour helpline that knows you are on treatment.
You sit or lie while the drip runs. Tell staff at once about any flushing, breathlessness, itching, shivering or...
Some people feel tired or queasy; others feel fairly normal. Anti-sickness and other supportive medicines help...
This is often when white blood cells are at their lowest and infection risk is highest. Watch carefully for any...
Blood counts usually recover before the next session. Blood tests check this; treatment may be delayed if you have...
What is intravenous infusion treatment?
Intravenous (IV) infusion treatment means giving medicine straight into a vein through a thin tube, so it mixes with your blood and travels around the body. In cancer care this is how many treatments are given, including some chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted drugs, antibody treatments, bone-strengthening drugs and supportive medicines such as fluids or anti-sickness drugs.
Because the medicine travels in the bloodstream, it can reach cancer cells in more than one place. This is called systemic treatment. It is different from radiotherapy or surgery, which treat one area. Whether infusion treatment is the right choice, and which drugs are used, depends entirely on the type of cancer, the results of tissue and molecular tests, the stage, and your general health. These decisions are made by a multidisciplinary team (MDT).
An infusion is a way of delivering a drug — it is not a single named treatment with one set of outcomes. What it can achieve depends on the specific medicine and your situation. For some people the aim is to cure or to lower the chance of cancer coming back after surgery; for others the aim is to control the cancer, ease symptoms and protect quality of life. Your team should tell you honestly which of these applies to you.
This guide explains how infusions are given and what to expect. It does not replace the detailed information your oncology team and specialist nurses will give you about your particular drug.
Types, options & approaches
There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.
Infusion compared with tablet (oral) treatment
| Point | Infusion (IV) | Tablets (oral) |
|---|---|---|
| How it is given | Into a vein at a clinic | Taken at home |
| Hospital visits | Each dose usually needs a visit | Fewer visits, but still monitored |
| Speed into blood | Reaches the blood quickly and fully | Depends on absorption from the gut |
| Main practical issue | Vein/line care and clinic time | Remembering doses and managing supply |
Not all drugs come in both forms. Your team chooses the route based on the drug and what suits you, not on which is 'better' in general.
Preparing for your treatment
- Make sure you understand the aim of treatment (to cure, to reduce the chance of return, or to control the cancer) and ask if you are unsure.
- Bring a list of all your medicines, supplements and allergies, as some interact with cancer drugs.
- Have any required blood tests before each cycle — treatment may be delayed if your blood counts are too low.
- Ask whether you will need a line or port, and what looking after it involves.
- Arrange transport for longer infusions or if you may feel unwell or drowsy afterwards.
- Save the chemotherapy/oncology 24-hour helpline number in your phone and tell someone at home about the warning signs.
- Tell your team if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or could become pregnant, as many of these drugs are harmful in pregnancy.
What happens
Before each session, a nurse usually checks your blood results, weight and how you have been since the last visit. Treatment may be put back if your blood counts have not recovered.
A nurse puts a needle into your cannula, line or port and connects tubing to a bag or pump. The medicine then runs in slowly over a set time, often through a pump that controls the rate. Some infusions take minutes; others take several hours, and a few are given continuously through a small portable pump you take home.
During the infusion the nurses watch for reactions, especially with the first dose of certain drugs. You may be given anti-sickness medicine, fluids or steroids alongside. Tell the nurse straight away if you feel hot, shivery, breathless, itchy, dizzy or notice pain, stinging or swelling at the needle site, as this needs immediate attention.
Most people go home the same day. You will usually be given written advice about side effects, a helpline number, and a plan for your next session.
Is this treatment right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- When tests show the cancer is unlikely to respond to the available infusion drugs, so the burden would outweigh the benefit.
- When someone is too unwell or frail to tolerate the drug safely, where best supportive care may be kinder.
- When a tablet, surgery or radiotherapy is a more appropriate treatment for that cancer and stage.
- When organ function (for example kidney, liver or heart) is too impaired for a specific drug.
- Beware any provider offering infusions as a 'cure' outside a proper MDT-led plan with diagnosis and staging.
Delay or rearrange if…
- Blood counts have not recovered enough since the last cycle.
- There is an active infection or unexplained fever.
- Kidney, liver or heart function has worsened and needs review.
- Pregnancy is possible and has not been discussed and excluded where the drug is harmful.
- Severe side effects from the previous cycle have not settled or been managed.
Alternatives to discuss
- Oral (tablet) versions of treatment where they exist and are suitable.
- Surgery or radiotherapy where these are the main treatment for the cancer.
- A different drug or combination guided by molecular testing.
- Best supportive (palliative) care focused on symptoms and quality of life.
- A clinical trial, if one is suitable and available.
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Comfort, sedation or contrast choices
If local anaesthetic, sedation, contrast or pain relief is used, ask what is planned, why, and what it means afterwards.
Benefits
- Delivers medicine into the bloodstream quickly and reliably, so the dose is not affected by absorption from the gut.
- Can reach cancer cells in more than one part of the body at once.
- Lets the team give the exact dose and slow the rate or stop if a reaction starts.
- A line or port can spare you repeated needles over a long course of treatment.
- Supportive infusions (fluids, anti-sickness, bone-strengthening or iron) can ease symptoms and help you cope with treatment.
Risks & complications
- Tiredness, and feeling generally washed out for a few days after treatment
- Nausea, taste changes or a sore mouth, depending on the drug
- Sore, bruised or hardened veins where short cannulas are used repeatedly
- Hair thinning or loss with some (not all) chemotherapy drugs
- Lowered blood counts, increasing the chance of infection, bleeding or anaemia
- Infusion or allergic reactions during or soon after treatment (flushing, rash, breathlessness, shivering)
- Infection or a blood clot related to a line or port
- Diarrhoea, constipation or skin and nail changes
- Inflammation in the body's organs with immunotherapy (for example bowel, skin, liver or hormone glands)
- Extravasation — the drug leaking into the tissue around the vein, which with some drugs can damage skin and needs urgent treatment
- Severe allergic (anaphylactic) reaction
- Neutropenic sepsis — a serious, sometimes life-threatening infection when white cells are low
- Lasting effects on the heart, nerves, kidneys, fertility or, very rarely, a second cancer years later with certain drugs
The side effects and risks depend almost entirely on which drug you are given, so use this guide alongside the specific drug information from your team. The most important thing to understand is that low white blood cells can turn a minor infection into an emergency within hours: a temperature, shivering, or simply feeling very unwell after treatment must be reported to the 24-hour helpline immediately, day or night. Ask what your own warning signs are.
Published figures to discuss
Side-effect rates depend heavily on the specific drug, the dose, the combination, and the person's health, so a single set of numbers cannot describe 'infusion treatment' as a whole. Some risks, such as low blood counts, are common and expected; others, such as extravasation or severe allergic reactions, are uncommon to rare but important because they need urgent action. Reliable figures for your treatment should come from the information sheet for your specific drug.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infusion reaction | Drug-dependent | Flushing, rash, breathlessness, chest tightness or low blood pressure during infusion need immediate staff review. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Extravasation | Uncommon but important for some chemotherapy drugs | Pain, swelling or burning around the cannula should be reported immediately. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Line infection or clot | Higher with central lines/ports | Fever, rigors, redness, swelling or arm/neck pain need urgent oncology advice. | NHS — Chemotherapy: what happensnhs.ukSource-linked context |
| Delayed side effects after going home | Regimen-dependent | Patients need written 24-hour contact instructions for fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, rash or breathlessness. | NHS — Chemotherapy: what happensnhs.ukSource-linked context |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
What happens afterwards
There is no operation to recover from, but the days after each infusion can bring tiredness and side effects that build up over a course of treatment. How you feel depends on the drug and on you.
- Tiredness for a few days after each session that may build up over the course
- Some nausea, taste changes or a sore mouth, usually helped by medicines
- Ups and downs in how well you feel across each cycle
- Mild bruising or tenderness where the needle or line was
- Needing to plan rest, work and family life around treatment days
Aftercare
- Take anti-sickness and other supportive medicines exactly as prescribed, even before you feel sick.
- Check your temperature if you feel unwell and follow the advice your team gave about when to call.
- Look after any line or port as instructed and keep dressing changes appointments.
- Drink enough fluids and eat as well as you can; ask for dietitian help if eating is hard.
- Avoid people with infections such as flu, COVID-19 or chickenpox when your counts may be low.
- Keep all blood-test and treatment appointments so doses can be checked and adjusted.
- Use reliable contraception if there is any chance of pregnancy, and ask about fertility before starting if relevant.
- Keep the 24-hour helpline number to hand and do not wait until morning if you feel very unwell.
- 24-hour oncology helpline number saved in your phone
- A working thermometer at home
- Anti-sickness and other prescribed medicines collected
- Someone who knows the warning signs and can help
- Transport arranged for treatment days
- A note of your treatment name and current cycle to show other clinicians
- Questions written down for your next review
Scars and how they heal
Most short cannulas leave only a small bruise. A PICC line, central line or implanted port leaves a small mark or scar where it is inserted and later removed; your team will explain how to care for the site and what is normal.
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- A temperature (your team will tell you the exact number), shivering or feeling very unwell — contact the helpline immediately, this can be a serious infection
- Breathlessness, chest tightness, a widespread rash, swelling of the face or lips, or feeling faint during or after an infusion
- Pain, stinging, swelling, redness or blistering around the needle, line or port
- Uncontrolled vomiting or diarrhoea, or being unable to keep fluids down
- Unusual bleeding or bruising, or blood in urine or stools
- A hot, swollen, painful arm or leg, or sudden breathlessness (possible clot)
- For immunotherapy: new severe diarrhoea, breathlessness, severe tiredness or yellow skin — these can be serious and need urgent review
Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
Whether an infusion is working is judged over weeks and months, not from a single session. Your team uses scans, examinations, blood tests and how you feel to decide whether to continue, change or stop treatment. A good response can mean the cancer shrinks, stops growing or causes fewer symptoms.
Results cannot be promised in advance, and no honest clinician can guarantee a cure from a drug. For many cancers, infusion treatment is one part of a plan that may also include surgery, radiotherapy or tablets. Ask your team what a good result would look like for you, and how and when they will know.
How long a treatment is given, and how long its benefit lasts, depends on the drug, the cancer and your response. Some courses are a fixed number of cycles after surgery; others continue for as long as they are helping and tolerable. Benefits can wear off if the cancer becomes resistant, and treatment may be changed. Your team should explain the expected length and what happens at the end of each phase.
Related tests, treatments or support
Infusion treatment is often combined with other approaches — for example chemotherapy before or after surgery, chemotherapy with radiotherapy (chemoradiation), or immunotherapy alongside chemotherapy. Supportive infusions such as fluids, anti-sickness drugs or bone-strengthening medicines may be given to help you cope. Your MDT decides the order and combination based on your cancer and molecular test results.
Follow-up & long-term care
You will have regular reviews during treatment to check side effects, blood results and how the cancer is responding, with scans at set points. After treatment ends, follow-up continues to watch for late effects and for any sign of the cancer returning. Most of this care is shared with, or led by, the NHS even when some treatment is given privately.
- Regular blood tests to monitor counts, kidney, liver and sometimes heart function
- Ongoing line or port care if you have one, with prompt review if it becomes sore or blocked
- Monitoring for late effects on the heart, nerves, hormones or fertility with certain drugs
- Vaccinations and infection precautions as advised by your team
- Clear shared records so your GP and any private and NHS teams are working from the same plan
Repeat, follow-on and what comes next
- Treatment is often adjusted between cycles — doses may be reduced, delayed or changed if side effects or blood results require it.
- If a drug stops working or is not tolerated, the team may switch to a different treatment.
- Lines and ports sometimes need replacing if they become blocked or infected.
- Plans are reviewed regularly using scans and blood tests; the aim of treatment can change over time and should be discussed openly.
Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.
What good aftercare looks like
- A named contact and a 24-hour helpline that knows you are on treatment.
- Clear written warning signs, especially for fever and infection, with exact instructions on when to call.
- Regular blood tests and reviews, with prompt management of side effects.
- Shared records so your GP and both private and NHS teams work from one plan.
- Honest discussion at each stage about whether treatment is helping and what to expect next.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- The specific drug or combination used, and how many cycles are planned
- The setting where infusions are given and the time each session takes
- Whether a line or port is needed, and the procedure and care that go with it
- Blood tests, scans and specialist reviews needed to monitor treatment
- Supportive medicines such as anti-sickness drugs, steroids or fluids
- Management of side effects, including any unplanned admissions
- Coordination with NHS services and your GP
- Which drug(s) are included and the planned number of cycles
- The oncologist's fees and the facility or day-unit fees per session
- Cost of any line or port insertion and ongoing line care
- Blood tests, scans and review appointments needed during treatment
- Supportive medicines and how they are charged
- What happens, and who pays, if you are admitted with a complication
- How care is shared with the NHS and what the NHS continues to provide
On the NHS? Most cancer infusion treatment in the UK is funded by the NHS when clinically indicated; paying privately does not buy a cure or faster survival, but may be used for speed of starting, choice of setting, or self-funding a specific drug, and should be coordinated with your NHS team.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- Not being told clearly whether the aim is to cure, to reduce the chance of return, or to control the cancer.
- Not being given a specific drug information sheet and a list of its own side effects.
- No clear, written emergency plan for fever or a reaction, and no 24-hour helpline number.
- Fertility, pregnancy and contraception not discussed before starting where the drug is harmful.
- Private treatment offered without confirming how it links to the NHS team and shared records.
Marketing red flags
- Infusions or 'IV therapy' marketed as a cancer cure, immune 'boost' or detox without diagnosis, staging and an MDT.
- High-dose vitamin, mineral or unproven 'miracle' infusions promoted as cancer treatment.
- Promises of guaranteed response or survival, or pressure to start quickly and pay up front.
- No mention of side effects, monitoring or emergency arrangements.
- Discouraging you from NHS care or from telling your oncologist.
Choosing a specialist safely
- Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
- You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.
- Exactly which drug or drugs am I having, and is the aim to cure, to reduce the chance of return, or to control the cancer?
- What are the main side effects of my specific drug, and which ones are emergencies?
- Will I need a cannula each time, or a line or port — and what does looking after it involve?
- How many cycles are planned, and how and when will you know if it is working?
- What is the 24-hour helpline number, and when exactly should I use it?
- How will my private treatment be coordinated with my NHS team and GP?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the specialist who carries out my treatment, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this treatment not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
Is infusion treatment the same as chemotherapy?
Will it cure my cancer?
Can I have this privately and will it be faster?
Does it hurt?
Why do I need blood tests before each session?
What should make me call the helpline urgently?
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How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: Cancer Research UK — Chemotherapy into your vein (intravenous) NHS — Chemotherapy: what happens NHS — Chemotherapy: side effects Macmillan — How chemotherapy is given Macmillan — Sepsis and cancer (neutropenic sepsis) Cancer Research UK — Side effects of chemotherapy
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
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