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HIPEC

General Surgery

Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a procedure within the abdominal cavity that combines localized hyperthermic treatment with chemotherapy. It is suitable for patients where cancer cells have spread within the abdominal cavity. After the surgical removal of the visible tumours by a surgeon, any remaining tumours that cannot be cleared entirely are continuously bathed in a heated liquid (40-42℃) containing chemotherapy drugs during the surgery. It aims to eliminate residual cancer cells, achieving optimal therapeutic results thoroughly.

Introduction

HIPEC is a combination therapy primarily used to treat cancers with abdominal metastases, such as colorectal cancer with peritoneal metastasis or ovarian cancer. What sets it apart is its combination of chemotherapy and hyperthermia, aimed at maximizing the destruction of cancer cells within the abdominal cavity.

Warmth: Before chemotherapy, the doctor fills the patient's abdominal cavity with a warm solution, enhancing the effectiveness of the drugs.
Chemotherapy: Specific chemotherapy drugs infused into the abdominal cavity can kill or inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Hyperthermia: The warm abdominal cavity helps improve drug penetration and has a more potent cytotoxic effect on specific cancer cells.

Procedure

Tumour Resection Surgery
The doctor will attempt to remove abdominal tumours as much as possible through surgical procedures.
Drug Infusion
After the partial resection surgery is completed, heated chemotherapy drugs are infused into the patient's abdominal cavity through a catheter.
Heating and Circulation 🔁
Throughout the process, heated drugs circulate back into the patient's abdominal cavity, maintaining a temperature between 40-42°C, which helps enhance the effectiveness of the drugs.
Continuous Monitoring
The medical team will closely monitor the patient's vital signs and treatment response throughout the procedure.

Cancers That HIPEC Surgery Treats

HIPEC Surgery is using for treat diseases, fluid build-up and cancers in the abdomen. The most common cancers treated with HIPEC include:

Appendix Cancer
Colon and Rectal Cancer
Gastric (stomach) Cancer
Mesothelioma
Ovarian Cancer
Peritoneal Cancer

FAQ

In general, tumour resection surgery combined with HIPEC treatment applies to patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, colorectal cancer, appendiceal cancer, ovarian cancer, peritoneal mesothelioma, advanced peritoneal surface malignancies, and cancers that are still confined to the abdominal cavity. Whether a patient is suitable for such surgery depends on the tumour's origin, the disease's severity or cancer spread, and the overall health condition, which the doctor will evaluate.

HIPEC is a one-time comprehensive therapy involving tumour resection and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) performed under a single anaesthesia. This approach enhances the absorption and susceptibility of cancer cells to drugs, effectively improving the survival rates for certain types of cancer. The surgery involves heating chemotherapy drugs and directly perfusing them into the peritoneal cavity. This method increases drug concentration, bypasses the hindrance of the peritoneal plasma barrier, and limits chemotherapy to the abdominal cavity, reducing the potential side effects of the drugs. According to relevant medical research, the median overall survival for cancer patients undergoing HIPEC is nearly one year longer compared to conventional tumour resection surgery. The median recurrence-free survival is also extended by 3.5 months.

The cost of HIPEC surgery is higher than that of conventional tumour resection surgery. During the surgery, patients may experience fever, and there is a risk of abdominal bleeding and impaired kidney function.