Advanced Colorectal Cancer Treatment
Metastatic disease in the abdominal cavity
Patients with carcinomatosis—metastatic cancer that has spread throughout the abdomen—may be potential candidates for cytoreductionand hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion(HIPEC). For patients with isolated colorectal cancer carcinomatosis that can be treated with cytoreduction, HIPEC may lead to a cure in 25-40% of cases. Even in patients who are not cured, cytoreduction/HIPECcan still improve survival.
The treatment begins with surgery to remove all visible tumors, followed by circulation of heated chemotherapy drugs throughout the abdominal cavity. Beause the drugs are restricted to the abdomen, with little being absorbedinto the bloodstream, very high doses can be used to kill cancer cells more effectively, while reducing the drugs’ side effects on healthy tissues and organs.
Cytoreduction/HIPEC is also used for the treatment of mesothelioma, some types of cancer of the appendix, and occasionally for ovarian cancer that has recurred. Patients come to Roswell Park from across the U.S. and Canada for treatment with cytoreduction and HIPEC.
