Infusion Center

At UCSF Infusion Center locations in San Francisco, San Mateo and Berkeley, you'll find a convenient and comfortable place to receive infusions ranging from chemotherapy, antibiotics and hydration fluids to red blood cells and platelets, as well as nonchemotherapy injections and central line care.

Our nurses are experts at keeping you safe and at minimizing the side effects of chemotherapy and other infusions. Over 40 percent of them are certified in oncology, meaning they have deep, specialized knowledge of and experience with cancer care. In addition, board-certified pharmacists dedicated to oncology patients review all medication orders and profiles, and work closely with our doctors to create customized infusion regimens.

When appropriate, we offer flexible infusion options to make life a little easier for patients. These include a "home disconnect program" that trains eligible patients and their caregivers to disconnect continuous chemotherapy pumps at home, eliminating the need for a second weekly visit to the center.

If you are dealing with a severe reaction to therapy, our program of "desensitization protocols" can help. In collaboration with the UCSF Allergy and Immunology team, this program assists people who need to remain on certain chemotherapy drugs after an adverse reaction.

Appointments, visitors and amenities

Appointments are required. Please check with your doctor's office before scheduling one. Avoid scheduling your treatment too soon after activities that could run late and affect your ability to arrive on time. This will shorten waiting time and help you get through your time at the center faster.

We provide warm blankets for you to use during treatment. At some locations, you'll also be offered a wireless tablet and light snacks. We encourage you to bring one visitor to sit with you. (Additional visitors must wait outside the infusion center.)

Clinical trials and new treatments

As an academic medical center, UCSF is committed to research, and our patients have access to clinical trials.

Patients receive the latest, most sophisticated treatment available, and our specialized pharmacists, clinical research coordinators and infusion nurses have extensive training in delivering new therapies.