A specialized chemo delivery method is gaining traction for liver-heavy colorectal cancer. A real-world study of 213 patients found that hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) offered meaningful survival benefits in both intensification and salvage settings — but only when performed at expert centers. Side effects were common, though mostly manageable.
For patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) that has spread heavily to the liver, a targeted chemotherapy delivery approach called hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) may offer a viable treatment path — under the right conditions. A retrospective study published in The Oncologist analyzed 213 patients treated with HAIC between 2010 and 2024, split into intensification (INT) and salvage (SALV) groups.
Patients who received HAIC earlier in their treatment journey (first or second line) fared better, with a median overall survival (OS) of 23 months and median progression-free survival (PFS) of 7.6 months. Those in the salvage group receiving HAIC as third-line therapy had a median OS of 13 months, dropping to 10 months for those treated beyond the third line.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: HAIC isn't a one-size-fits-all solution — it comes with real procedural risks and requires specialized infrastructure. But for carefully selected patients with liver-dominant disease who have limited options, it could extend survival meaningfully when delivered at expert centers with multidisciplinary teams.
