Chemotherapy and HAI

Chemotherapy and Hepatic Artery Infusion (HAI)

Who should consider chemotherapy and HAI?

How does chemotherapy and HAI work?

What is the duration of treatment?

How effective is chemotherapy and HAI?

Are there any side effects?

Is there anyone who shouldn't get the hepatitis A vaccine?

Which medications are used in chemotherapy and HAI?

How much does chemotherapy and HAI cost?

 

Chemotherapy and Hepatic Artery Infusion (HAI)

Used alone, HAI and chemotherapy for liver cancer is not an effective treatment. Used in conjunction with other treatments, HAI and chemotherapy can assist in recuperation.

 

Who should consider chemotherapy and HAI?

Often HAI therapy and chemotherapy is given before or after liver surgery. Before surgery, this neoadjuvant treatment is used to help shrink a tumor making surgery a possibility. In adjuvant treatment, or after liver surgery, chemotherapy and HAI may be used to prevent subsequent tumors from growing and spreading.

 

How does chemotherapy and HAI work?

Chemotherapy is a pill or an intravenously injected treatment that makes its way throughout the bloodstream to target cancerous cells. Chemotherapy may be useful to those in whom cancerous cells have grown beyond the liver. HAI, or hepatic artery infusion, is chemotherapy administered directly into the hepatic artery, placing a catheter in the hepatic artery, in attempt to shrink the tumor.

 

What is the duration of treatment?

The duration of chemotherapy is determined by the attending physician. A treatment program will is devised to appropriately meet individual needs. Often chemotherapy is cyclic, with one week of chemotherapy followed by a 2-3 week resting period to allow for new healthy cell growth.

 

How effective is chemotherapy and HAI?

Used alone, chemotherapy is not an effective method for treating liver cancer because the liver resists most chemotherapy treatments. Only a small number of tumors shrink with chemotherapy. When chemotherapy is used before liver surgery, its effectiveness is far greater. Likewise, when chemotherapy is used after surgery, it is also more effective. HAI treatment is more effective than chemotherapy but requires surgical intervention. HAI has also been shown to improve the quality of life for the patient.

 

Are there any side effects?

Reported side effects of chemotherapy include: bleeding, bruising easily, fatigue, hair loss, loss of appetite, mouth sores, nausea and vomiting.

HAI has been shown to reduce chemotherapy side effects, but may create abdominal inflammation, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

 

Is there anyone who should not have chemotherapy or HAI treatment?

People who should not have chemotherapy or HAI treatment include:

women who are pregnant or nursing
patients with low platelet counts
severe kidney impairment, or poor liver function
those who have recently undergone surgery
those who have an ongoing infection within the body

 

Which medications are used in chemotherapy and HAI?

Some products used in chemotherapy treatment include cisplatin (Platin®), doxorubicin (Adriamycin®) and 5- fluorouracil (Adrucil®).

 

How much does chemotherapy or HAI cost?

Insurance sometimes covers these treatments, at least in part. Contact your healthcare provider for information regarding your exact policy. Costs for these treatments without insurance fall approximately in the $10,000-200,000 range, depending on duration, geographical location, and individual needs. Sometimes medication for serious side effects will be necessary. This medication costs between $2,000 and 4,000 per month. Some hospitals give discounts for this type of therapy.