Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) With Cytoreductive Surgery
What is hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with cytoreductive surgery (CRS)?
Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy with cytoreductive surgery is a type of cancer treatment that involves the surgeon filling the abdominal cavity with heated chemotherapy drugs after the removal of tumors or lesions, also known as “hot chemotherapy,” or HIPEC. The chemotherapy is heated to 103 degrees Fahrenheit and pumped throughout the abdominal cavity ensuring that the drug reaches all areas within the abdomen, killing any cancer cells that remain after surgery.
What are the benefits of HIPEC with cytoreductive surgery?
- HIPEC is a focused regional treatment that is directed towards a patient’s specific site of cancer spread
- Can improve overall survival and quality of life for certain types of cancers involving the peritoneal cavity
- Allows direct treatment to an area that can be difficult to treat with intravenous chemotherapy
- Can offer an added treatment option for stage IV cancer patients, depending on the tumor type and biology
- May allow patients to tolerate systemic chemotherapy better after the bulk of disease is removed and may offer a break from systemic chemotherapy
- May offer relief of abdominal symptoms and abdominal ascites
Who is a good candidate for HIPEC?
There are multiple factors that make a patient a good candidate for HIPEC. These factors are dependent upon the following: tumor type, cancer stage and how quickly it is growing, and the patient’s overall medical condition. Patients should consult with their oncology care team or schedule an appointment with a surgical oncologist to evaluate if this treatment is appropriate for their condition.
Cancer Types that are most frequently treated with HIPEC:
- Pseudomyxoma peritonei
- Primary Peritoneal Mesothelioma
- Colorectal Cancer
- Appendiceal Cancer
- Adrenal Cancer
- Gastric Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer that has not spread to the abdomen
In patients diagnosed with a gastrointestinal tumor, our care team will carefully consider the type of tumor before any recommendations for treatment options are made. Texas Oncology Surgical Oncologists will assess your tumor histology to determine if the HIPEC procedure is an appropriate treatment.
Texas Oncology Surgical Specialists will decide whether the use of surgery with HIPEC is the first approach to treating your cancer or whether other steps in your treatment are needed before this combined therapy.
If surgery is not feasible, unlikely to improve outcomes, or if you have other medical conditions preventing your ability to undergo a lengthy surgical procedure, this option may not be right for you.
What happens during a HIPEC procedure?
One of our surgeons will surgically remove your tumor while you are under general anesthesia. The procedure can last between 6 to 9 hours. Every case is different, and a longer treatment time may be needed.
After our surgeons remove the tumor(s) from your abdominal cavity, the HIPEC treatment begins. Our surgeons heat the chemotherapy drug and then circulate the drug throughout your abdomen which typically lasts about 90 minutes.
What is recovery like after HIPEC?
After HIPEC treatment, patients generally stay in the hospital for an average of 7 to 10 days. This hospital stay is to help your digestive system recover from the targeted chemotherapy. Since this procedure involves a one-time, targeted dose of chemotherapy, there is minimal chemotherapy exposure to the rest of your body. Therefore, typical side effects from chemotherapy treatments like hair loss can be avoided.