Editorial
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 21, 2010; 16(11): 1299-1302
Published online Mar 21, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i11.1299
Current role of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal cancer
Bernardino Rampone, Beniamino Schiavone, Antonio Martino, Giuseppe Confuorto
Bernardino Rampone, Beniamino Schiavone, Antonio Martino, Giuseppe Confuorto, Department of Surgery, Pineta Grande Hospital, Castel Volturno, Caserta 81100, Italy
Author contributions: Rampone B wrote and edited the paper; the other authors participated in the preparation of the manuscript; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by A Grant From Pineta Grande Hospital, Castel Volturno, Caserta, Italy
Correspondence to: Dr. Bernardino Rampone, Department of Surgery, Pineta Grande Hospital, Castel Volturno, Caserta 81100, Italy. ramponebernardino@virgilio.it
Telephone: +39-823-854266 Fax: +39-823-854266
Received: December 11, 2009
Revised: January 23, 2010
Accepted: January 30, 2010
Published online: March 21, 2010
Abstract

Peritoneal carcinomatosis is one of the most common routes of dissemination of colorectal cancer (CRC). It is encountered in 7% of patients at primary surgery, while it develops in about 4% to 19% of patients after curative surgery and in up to 44% of patients with recurrent CRC. Peritoneal involvement from colorectal malignancies has been considered traditionally as a manifestation of terminal disease, due to limited response to conventional surgical and chemotherapeutic treatments. In the past few years the introduction of cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion has shown promising results in selected patients. Currently, the surgical management of peritoneal surface malignancies of colonic origin with this combined locoregional therapy has resulted in a significant improvement in survival of these patients. However, further controlled studies will help to standardize indications and the technique of this locoregional therapy in order to achieve an improvement of morbidity and mortality rates.

Keywords: Peritoneal carcinomatosis; Colorectal cancer; Intra-abdominal disease; Recurrence; Cytoreductive surgery