Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Peritoneal Carcinomatosis of Digestive and Peritoneal Origin: Rationale

Abstract

Up to a few years ago peritoneal carcinomatosis was considered as an "incurable" disease. The aim of this paper is to review the surgical approach with curative intent to carcinomatosis: it consists of complete resection of macroscopic disease (R1), associated with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to treat residual microscopic disease, and to evaluate its indications. Overall 5-year survival of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis treated by HIPEC is similar to that of patients with hepatic metastases treated with curative intent. Those patients should no longer be considered as patients with a terminal disease but as patients with a potentially treatable localized disease.

Accuracy of FDG-PET/CT in Colorectal Peritoneal Carcinomatosis: Potential Tool for Evaluation of Chemotherapeutic Response

“…However, in 20-25% of cases, particularly for those with gastrointestinal tumours, the disease is confined to the peritoneal cavity (2,3). Complete cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) allows some patients to be treated with curative intent (4)(5)(6). The reported global 5-year survival in selected patients with PC of colorectal cancer origin is 51% with a median survival of 63 months in a recent series (7).…”