Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC)
Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is an innovative procedure used to treat cancers that have originated in or spread to the abdominal cavity, such as appendiceal cancer, pseudomyxoma peritonei, colon cancer, gastric cancer, ovarian cancer, and peritoneal mesothelioma.
Benefits of HIPEC surgery:
- Best survival rates of any peritoneal mesothelioma treatment
- Fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy
- Safe delivery of higher drug doses than systemic chemotherapy
- Local application means more cancerous cells than normal cells are exposed to the drugs, which prevents resistance to chemotherapy
Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy (PIPAC)
PIPAC is a novel therapeutic method of administering chemotherapy within the abdominal cavity. This approach allows for direct treatment of cancers within the peritoneum, an area in which systemic chemotherapy has a little effect due to a low number of blood vessels within this area to effectively transmit traditional chemotherapy.
At the time of treatment, the surgical team performs a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure that allows for direct access to the abdominal cavity. A high-pressure micro-injection pump converts liquid chemotherapy into an aerosolized spray that can reach every corner of the abdominal cavity, even typically hard-to-reach tumour cells.
