The Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Program at City of Hope Chicago provides comprehensive, personalized treatment to patients with advanced abdominal cancer, including peritoneal surface malignancies.
The peritoneum is the membrane that lines the cavity of the abdomen. Peritoneal surface malignancies refer to a variety of tumors that include extensive peritoneal involvement and may or may not also involve solid organs, such as the liver, spleen and lymph nodes. These tumors originate from the appendix, rectum, colon, stomach, ovaries and other organs, and then spread to the peritoneal surface of the abdominal cavity and other organs.
Patients with a peritoneal surface malignancy are treated by a multidisciplinary team, including surgical oncologists, gynecologic oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists and pain management specialists, as well as supportive care team members who help patients manage side effects and return to daily activities as quickly as possible.
At City of Hope Chicago, our surgeons are trained and experienced in administering hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) and cytoreductive (debulking) procedures to support the management of peritoneal surface malignancies.
One of the innovative treatments our hospital offers patients with some forms of advanced-stage abdominal cancer is cytoreductive surgery followed by HIPEC. Cytoreductive surgery is a procedure performed to remove visible tumors in the abdomen. Performed by a board-certified surgical oncologist, HIPEC is a heated, sterilized chemotherapy solution delivered directly to the abdomen immediately following cytoreductive surgery. The goal is to penetrate and destroy cancer cells that remain in the abdomen after surgery.
Cytoreductive surgery in combination with HIPEC may be a treatment option for patients who have advanced surface spread of cancer in the abdomen, without disease involvement outside the abdomen. It may be used to treat some cases of:
In comparison to traditional chemotherapy delivery, HIPEC allows for higher doses of chemotherapy treatment. Heating the solution (i.e., hyperthermia) is also designed to enhance the effects of the chemotherapy to improve absorption by tumors and tumor cells’ susceptibility to chemotherapy. Confining the chemotherapy to the abdomen reduces the rest of the body’s exposure to the treatment. This typically helps reduce certain chemotherapy side effects.
