Hepatic Artery Infusion (HAI) Pump Therapy

Learning you have liver cancer that cannot be removed with surgery can leave you with many questions. Henry Ford Health offers innovative treatments such as HAI (hepatic arterial infusion) pump therapy. This technique delivers chemotherapy directly to the liver to help shrink the tumor and stop it from growing.

What is HAI pump therapy?

We surgically implant a small pump under the skin of your abdomen and fill it with chemotherapy drugs. A thin tube connects the pump to the artery that supplies the liver, so the drugs flow directly to the tumor.

This targeted delivery makes it possible to:

• Use higher doses than standard chemotherapy
• Limit how much of the drug affects the rest of your body

Why choose Henry Ford for HAI pump therapy?

We are one of Michigan’s leading liver cancer programs and offer a full range of advanced treatment options. When new therapies become available, such as HAI pump therapy, we are often among the first places you’ll find them. Our team combines care advances with deep experience in complex cases, giving you access to exceptional care.

The Henry Ford difference:

• Connected services: Liver surgeons and medical oncologists who specialize in liver cancer oversee your treatment. They work closely with a large team of experts, including radiologists, pathologists, nurses and support staff to coordinate every aspect of your care. Meet our team.
• Care close to home: You can benefit from HAI pump therapy even if you don’t live near one of our clinics. We see you in person for pump implant surgery and periodic appointments to monitor treatment response. Between visits, you receive care from your local oncologist. We stay in contact with them to keep everything on track.
• Additional options: HAI pump therapy is one of many specialized options we use to treat liver tumors. Even if the cancer is advanced or returns after treatment, we can help you. You may be eligible for other procedures, such as histotripsy or embolization.

How HAI pump therapy for liver tumors works

HAI pump therapy is for people with cancer that begins in the liver (primary liver cancer). It’s also for cancer that spreads to the liver from other areas (metastatic liver cancer).

In both situations, treatment works the same way:

• During a short surgical procedure, we place the pump under the skin of the abdomen.
• Chemotherapy from the pump flows into the hepatic artery, the vessel that feeds most liver tumors, so the drug reaches cancer cells directly.
• Periodically, we refill the pump with more chemotherapy drugs.

What happens next depends on your treatment plan:

• Surgery to remove the tumor: We remove the pump and the tumor in the same procedure. Find out more about liver cancer surgery (resection).
• If surgery is not needed or not possible: You continue HAI pump therapy. We refill the pump every few weeks and monitor your treatment response.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about HAI pump therapy