Individual results may vary. Talk to your physician about the risks and benefits of the therapy and to find out if the 3000 HAI Pump is right for you.
Diagnosis: Stage 4 colorectal cancer liver metastases
Age at diagnosis: 59
In 2008, Peter was busy working as a carpenter and had been putting off his colonoscopy for years. When he finally got one, it was not the news he had expected or wanted to hear. He had colorectal cancer that had spread to his liver, and he soon had surgery to remove 12 inches of his colon. Peter saw two local oncologists, who both said that the tumors in his liver were inoperable and that he had less than two years to live based on standard treatment.
“I’m a Vietnam veteran and former high school wrestler,” said Peter. “My attitude from day one was that this was just another battle for an old soldier to fight.”
Peter and his wife wanted more options, so they got an appointment for a second opinion. The specialist who they met with said that Peter was a good candidate for HAI therapy. The goal was to get the tumors in his liver small enough to be able to remove them with surgery.
Peter had an HAI pump implanted and soon began treatment. One of the tumors in his liver was close to his main artery, and the doctors wanted to shrink it away from the artery to increase the chances of a successful resection. After a brief pause in his HAI therapy due to a bout of pneumonia, his doctor did a scan to check the status of his tumors.
“When I saw her face, she was smiling,” said Peter. “She said all of the tumors were gone – there was nothing there to even operate on. According to her assessment, my HAI therapy had totally taken care of the tumors.”
Following this assessment, they restarted HAI therapy to keep the tumors from coming back. After treatment was completed, the doctors maintained his pump with glycerin in case he needed it for active treatment in the future. Eventually, Peter and his doctor made the decision to remove the pump. By then, he had been cancer-free for eight years.
“When I was diagnosed at age 59, people didn’t think I would make it to 60, but I’ve celebrated my 75th birthday,” said Peter. “My granddaughters are all in their 20s, and I’ve been to their college graduations. I’m grateful that I faced this challenge head-on and found a specialist who offered HAI therapy.”