The cancer journal
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Significant improvements in the understanding of the biologic behavior of peritoneal surface malignancies in addition to the combination of peritonectomy procedures that allow complete eradication of macroscopic peritoneal disease and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) at the time of surgery, directed at residual microscopic disease, have change the therapeutic strategy from a palliative approach to a curative intent in a selected group of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. The rationale for adding HIPEC is supported by the strong pharmacological advantage over systemic therapy. Because of the peritoneal-plasma barrier, intraperitoneal administration of chemotherapy results in intraperitoneal levels that are 20 to 1000 times higher than plasma levels. ⋯ This synergism occurs only at the interface of heat and body tissue at the peritoneal surface. However, despite the wider acceptance to combine extensive cytoreductive surgery with intraoperative intraperitoneal heated chemotherapy, the specifics of the HIPEC administration continue to lack uniformity. The most recent consensus statement issued by the Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International after the 2006 meeting in Milan concluded that the debate on the best method to deliver HIPEC is still open, and as a group, we declared that there is no sufficient evidence in the literature confirming the superiority of one technique over the other in terms of outcome, morbidity, and safety to the personnel in the operating room.
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Evidence for the efficacy of cytoreductive surgery, combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), in the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis is accumulating. Many centers around the world now have considerable experience of the complex techniques required to achieve complete cytoreduction with the administration of HIPEC. ⋯ A number of specialized centers have studied the factors that influence perioperative complications and mortality and have demonstrated impressive reductions in morbidity and mortality over time. However, for this treatment to be accepted as standard of care, teams undertaking this treatment strategy must aim to minimize morbidity and mortality by learning from the experience of established centers and using the "global learning curve."