HIPEC;(Hyperthermic intra-abdominal chemotherapy—Intra-abdominal warm chemotherapy) is a form of treatment abbreviated as "Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy". The application of intra-abdominal warm chemotherapy, called HIPEC, is one of the most important steps taken in this field in terms of both prolonging the patient's life expectancy and increasing the quality of life.

 

In which diseases is HIPEC used?

In some cancers originating from the intra-abdominal organs, systemic chemotherapy given before (neoadjuvant treatment) or after (adjuvant treatment) or both before and after surgical treatment may not always give the expected response.

In patients with peritoneal involvement in the advanced stage of cancer, fluid (ascites) begins to accumulate in the abdomen. This fluid may cause the patient's abdomen to swell gradually, causing breathing and circulation problems with the pressure and tension it creates.

Sometimes it becomes so common that it even prevents the patient from lying down. In addition, it causes the spread of cancer cells to other areas of the abdomen. Although it is possible to drain the fluid through the cannula for the patient's relief, as the pathology continues, there will be fluid collection again.

 

In a similar patient group with advanced cancer, HIPEC treatment may be on the agenda, which will prolong the life of the patient and provide life comfort.

 

Successful results have been reported with this procedure in cancers such as peritoneal cancers, appendix cancer and ovarian cancer in women. In addition to these, it can also be applied in cancers of the large intestine, stomach and recently pancreas.

 

Generally, the treatment is completed with cytoreductive surgery + peritonectomy + HIPEC followed by systemic chemotherapy. In cytoreductive surgery, it is aimed to remove the tumors in all removable areas of the patient's abdomen and to remove the peritoneum.

Then the abdomen is washed with heated chemotherapy drugs for a while. HIPEC application alone can be applied to patients with ascites who are not suitable for cytoreductive surgery due to their general condition and disease, only "palliation", that is, to reduce the complaints somewhat.

This application, which has no effect on the survival time, can be performed laparoscopically through catheters placed in the abdomen.