Treatment of primary peritoneal mesothelioma by continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion (CHPP)

Primary peritoneal mesothelioma is a locally aggressive disease that is difficult to treat or even palliate. Continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion (CHPP) with cisplatin (CDDP) allows uniform, high regional delivery of chemotherapeutics and hyperthermia to the peritoneal surface for the treatment of peritoneal tumors. This article summarizes the results of 18 patients with peritoneal mesothelioma treated with CHPP.

From June 1993 through April 1998, 18 patients with primary peritoneal mesothelioma (13 male, 5 female; median age, 51 years) underwent surgical exploration and tumor debulking followed by a 90-minute CHPP with CDDP and hyperthermia as part of three consecutive phase I trials conducted at the National Cancer Institute. Seventeen of 18 patients had malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, 13 with associated ascites. One patient had a symptomatic, multiply recurrent, benign, cystic peritoneal mesothelioma. Three patients who had a recurrence after a prolonged progression-free interval (>6 months) after CHPP underwent re-treatment. CHPP parameters included median cisplatin dose of 530 mg (range, 187-816), perfusate volume 6.0 liter (range, 4-9), flow 1.5 liter/min (range, 1-2), intraperitoneal temperature 41 degrees C (range, 38.7-43.2), and central temperature 38.6 degrees C (range, 36.8-39.7).

Median follow-up after CHPP is 19 months (range, 2-56) with no operative or treatment-related mortality. Overall operative morbidity was 24% and included two patients with superficial wound infection and one patient each with atrial fibrillation, pancreatitis, fascial dehiscence, ileus, line sepsis, and clostridium difficile colitis. The major treatment-related toxicity was systemic renal toxicity at doses above what was defined as the maximum tolerated dose of cisplatin. Nine of 10 patients had resolution of their ascites postoperatively. Three patients who developed recurrent ascites (27, 22, and 10 months after initial treatment) were re-treated and had resolution of their ascites with ongoing responses at 24, 6, and 4 months after the second perfusion. The median progression-free survival was 26 months, and the overall 2-year survival was 80%. The median overall survival has not been reached.

CHPP with cisplatin can be performed safely with no mortality and minimal morbidity. In selected patients, successful palliation in the abdomen and long-term survival, compared with historical controls, can be achieved with aggressive surgical debulking and CHPP. Re-treatment after initial response can result in a second long-term response.