AdventHealth Tampa is first in Tampa Bay to offer implantable chemotherapy pump for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Hepatic Artery Infusion therapy delivers treatment directly to metastatic tumorsin the liver, while minimizing the potential for systemic side effects

TAMPA, Fla., March 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AdventHealth Tampa is the first in the Tampa Bay area to offer a powerful new pump-based treatment option for colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver and for a rare form of cancer that forms in bile ducts within the liver called intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Hepatic Artery Infusion (HAI) therapy uses a pump that is implanted just below the skin in a patient's abdominal wall to deliver medicine directly to the liver through the hepatic artery, maximizing drug delivery to the tumors without adding systemic side effects.

A team led by Dr. Iswanto Sucandy, a board-certified surgeon with dual fellowship training in Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, is now offering this advanced therapy to patients with these hard-to-treat cancers.

"At the AdventHealth Digestive Health Institute Tampa, we are committed to providing the most advanced treatment options for complex liver cancers," Dr. Sucandy said. "HAI therapy is a groundbreaking approach that allows us to directly target tumors in the liver while minimizing systemic side effects. By offering this leading-edge treatment, we are giving hope to patients who previously had very few options."

On March 17, Dr. Sucandy performed the first HAI pump implant surgery in the Tampa Bay area, making AdventHealth Tampa one of only six hospitals in Florida offering this kind of care for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. AdventHealth Tampa is also the first in the state to use robotic placement for this pump, which has a faster recovery time, and minimizes the risks compared to laparoscopic placement.

Dr. Sucandy's first HAI patient is 41 years old with 15 metastatic tumors on their liver and had been told surgical removal of the tumors wasn't possible. The patient is now using the implantable chemotherapy pump, a treatment that can shrink those tumors and make them operable.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and is the leading cause of cancer death in men under 50 and the second leading cause in women under 50. Nearly 30% of patients with colorectal cancer will develop colorectal liver metastases (CRLM).

Clinical studies show that hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) therapy can significantly reduce tumor size, enable surgical removal of previously inoperable tumors, and improve survival rates.

"We are proud to support AdventHealth Tampa in expanding access to HAI therapy for patients who can benefit from it," said Michael Gaisford, chief executive officer of Intera Oncology. "This innovative treatment, now offered at leading cancer centers, delivers continuous therapy to the entire liver, targeting both visible tumors and hidden micrometastases that drive high recurrence rates, all while allowing patients to maintain their daily activities."

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SOURCE AdventHealth West Florida Division