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Liver treatment via pump or catheter

stephens630
stephens630 CSN Member Posts: 4
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Has anyone experienced treatment to liver with the use of a catheter or a pump implant? I would like to know the pros and cons of each as I need to make a desision within the next four weeks.
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  • chenderson
    chenderson CSN Member Posts: 2
    #2
    If you're still looking for information about what's known as Hepatic Arterial Infusion (the pump), there are several places on the web to try, including this from the University of Illinois at Chicago: http://gen.surg.uic.edu/CFDOCS/gensurg2/haip.espat.htm. Medtronic, a pump manufacturer, also has information at http://www.medtronic.com/neuro/hai

    I got a pump in March 2002 after my rectal cancer turned up in my liver 10 months after my initial diagnosis. For six months I got FUDR (related to 5FU) through the pump, as well as irinotecan through an IV. The FUDR side effects must be monitored closely for liver damage; there's a fair risk of chemical hepatitis, though it's not probably something you would be able to notice on your own. (The irinotecan, on the other hand, was VERY noticeable to me!)

    Physically, the pump itself is not a problem; it sits right at my waistband and sticks out a bit, so one pair of pants I own aren't that comfortable anymore, but that's about it. I am keeping it for at least another year or two, in case it's needed again; I just have to go in every six to eight weeks to have it refilled with a neutral liquid to keep it working right...
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