University Medical Center (UMC) announced that they are now providing Hepatic Arterial Infusion (HAI) Pump treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to the liver and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma/bile duct cancer who are initially not candidates for resection surgery.
A multidisciplinary program, the HAI Pump treatment was established by Omeed Moaven, MD, a hepatobiliary surgical oncologist, and involves surgical oncology, medical oncology, intervention radiology, and nuclear medicine services. The team is led by Moaven and Thomas Reske, MD, a gastrointestinal (GI) medical oncologist.
“This approach has been shown to significantly improve tumor response rates, progression-free survival and, in select cases, conversion to resectability, offering patients a chance for curative-intent surgery,” said Moaven. “A dedicated HAI program enhances multidisciplinary collaboration, integrates cutting-edge research and clinical trials, as well as provides patients with access to specialized, high-impact therapies not widely available. Furthermore, implementing such a program strengthens a cancer center’s reputation as a regional leader in innovative cancer care, improving both patient outcomes and institutional visibility in hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) oncology. As the flagship hospital in our journey for National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, it is important to offer all the therapeutic modalities that are available for patients in comprehensive cancer centers.”
This innovative therapy delivers high-dose chemotherapy directly to the liver, maximizing treatment efficacy while minimizing systemic side effects, with the goal of maximizing disease control and down-staging some of these patients.