Treatment of malignant peritoneal effusion in digestive and ovarian cancer

Intra Peritoneal Chemo Hyperthermia (IPCH) with Mitomycin C (MMC) or Cisplatinum (CP) was used to treat 32 patients with far advanced digestive or ovarian cancers and peritoneal carcinomatosis. Surgical resection of the primary tumor has been possible in 18 cases. After closure of the abdominal wall, a 90 minutes IPCH as performed under general anaesthesia and 32 degrees C general hypothermia, through 3 intraperitoneal drainages realizing a closed circuit, using 10 mg/l of MMC or 15 to 25 mg/l of CP in 6 l of peritoneal dialysate heated at the inflow temperature of 46 to 49 degrees C. The mortality rate was 3% and the morbidity rate was 3%. In 11 out of 12 patients with preoperative malignant ascites, no more ascites could be found after IPCH. For peritoneal carcinomatosis from digestive origin, median survival was 11.2 months and 1 year survival rate was 46.9%. These encouraging preliminary results show that IPCH is a safe and reliable treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis in far advanced digestive or ovarian cancers.