Hyperthermic / Heated Chemoperfusion
Hyperthermic (heated) chemoperfusion, also known as hyperthermic intraperitoneal
chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a technique performed in conjunction with
surgery to remove cancerous tumors in the abdominal (peritoneal) cavity.
In the operating room, malignant tumors are surgically reduced as much as possible and cancerous material is removed. Since cancerous conditions in the peritoneal region are generally aggressive, HIPEC is a procedure that will continue treating low grade malignant cells that were unable to be removed by the surgical procedure.
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Once maximal excision of the tumors is complete, a heated mixture of saline fluid and a potent cancer drug (such as Mitomycin-C, Doxorubicin or Gemcitabine) is passed through and around the abdominal cavity, bathing the site for approximately 90 minutes. The procedure is managed by a closed circuit computerized exchange similar to that used in open heart surgery. The exchange keeps the fluid slowly and steadily flowing in and out of the abdominal cavity while medical personnel closely monitor the patient and massage the abdomen and organs to ensure that the solution is being absorbed.
HIPEC has been used as an adjunct treatment to standard chemotherapy since 1980. The mixture of heat and chemotherapy drugs results in increased acidity in the blood stream, low oxygen tension and a lack of metabolizing glucose, which puts the cancerous cells into a state that is highly receptive to absorbing the fluids quickly and deeply. Hyperthermic chemoperfusion does not work as a sole cancer treatment, but must be used in connection with other chemotherapies and/or surgical procedures.
Research has shown that malignant ascites (abnormal fluid accumulation in the abdominal lining surfaces caused by the spread of cancer) may be completely eradicated or prevented by the use of HIPEC. The procedure is currently used only on terminal patients and can prolong patient survival and provide a better quality of life.