Intraperitoneal chemotherapy for ovarian cancer: overview and perspective

Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy has theoretical, pharmacologic, and clinical advantages over intravenous (IV) chemotherapy in women with optimally debulked epithelial ovarian cancer confined to the abdominal cavity. Consistent, statistically significant improvements in both progression-free and overall survival have been demonstrated in three large phase III trials conducted in the United States during the past 10 years. Nevertheless, concerns over IP drug distribution and systemic absorption, technical challenges of IP catheter placement and the incidence of IP catheter-related complications, and the clinical relevance of these studies have limited the adoption of IP therapy in ovarian cancer. Current interest in the evaluation of molecularly targeted therapies should build on the progress that has been made through the use of IP chemotherapy in women with optimally debulked ovarian cancer.