Mucinous adenocarcinomas with intra-abdominal dissemination: a review of current therapy

Peritoneal carcinomatosis has been considered a terminal disease with a median survival time of 5.2-12.6 months. Systemic chemotherapy and cytoreductive surgery (CRS) have long been used to treat macroscopic disease, with limited success. However, a comprehensive treatment approach involving cytroreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has evolved into a novel approach for peritoneal carcinomatosis. Surgery removes the primary cancer and any dissemination within the peritoneal cavity and adjuvant HIPEC eradicates macroscopic or microscopic tumor residue, thus reducing the risk for recurrence. This approach offers a new potential treatment option for patients with metastatic disease confined to the peritoneum. The present review provides an update of the most recent data on the current therapy for pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) and mucinous colorectal adenocarcinoma (MCA) with metastatic disease confined to the peritoneum.