Published online Jul 15, 2020. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v12.i7.756
Peer-review started: March 3, 2020
First decision: April 18, 2020
Revised: May 1, 2020
Accepted: June 2, 2020
Article in press: June 2, 2020
Published online: July 15, 2020
Processing time: 133 Days and 16.8 Hours
Appropriately selected patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis are treated with cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). HIPEC is administered in either an open or a closed fashion.
The two techniques to administer HIPEC both have advantages and disadvantages. The open technique allows for full visualization of the abdomen during the HIPEC administration, though it is more difficult to maintain hyperthermia as well as increased potential for contamination with cytotoxic agents. The closed technique, on the other hand, allows for greater ability for temperature control and limits exposure though at the cost of visibility.
The objective of this study was to determine if one of these techniques was superior to the other in terms of both short- and long-term outcomes. Previous studies have been limited either preclinical animal models or single-center studies.
A multi-institutional database from 12 academic institutions across the country was utilized for this study. Patients who underwent curative-intent CRS and HIPEC were identified and demographic, clinical, post-operative, and survival data was obtained. Kaplan-Meier survival method was used to determine estimates for overall and recurrence-free survival. Cox proportional hazard regression was used for multi-variable analysis was also used for overall and recurrence-free survival.
There was no difference in severe complications or rates of re-operation between the open and the closed HIPEC groups. Open HIPEC had higher mortality within 90 d while closed HIPEC had higher rates of readmission. The HIPEC technique used was also not an independent factor for overall or recurrence-free survival on multi-variable analysis.
We found that HIPEC technique was not an independent factor for overall or recurrence-free survival, as well as not contributing significantly to relevant post-operative outcomes. Our goal was to determine if there was an optimal HIPEC regimen in order to provide patients with the best possible outcomes.
The HIPEC technique used can be left to the discretion of the operating surgeon, though continued effort to standardize HIPEC administration would benefit our ability to study patient outcomes. The optimal HIPEC regimen remains unknown and may vary depending on the clinical situation.