Cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic perioperative chemotherapy for selected patients with peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer: a new standard of care or an experimental approach?
Peritoneal metastases (PM) are a common presentation for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), and the median survival of patients with PM is approximately one year. In a majority of patients, the disease remains limited to the peritoneal cavity. Therefore, investigators have applied cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and heated perioperative chemotherapy (HIPEC) as a standard approach for selected patients with PM from CRC. These investigators have demonstrated a very promising long-term survival in a subset of patients with a limited amount of isolated peritoneal metastatic disease. This paper presents the data that supports CRS and HIPEC as a treatment option for CRC patients with PM. These results of treatment are compared and contrasted to the results that can be expected with systemic chemotherapy alone.
Washington Cancer Institute, Program in Peritoneal Surface Malignancy, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
Paul H
PH
Sugarbaker