[Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy as a new way of peritoneal metastases treatment]

Peritoneal neoplastic disease may originate primarily from neoplasms developing in peritoneum or metastases of cancers mostly arising in digestive or female reproductive systems. Peritoneal neoplasia leads to a much poorer prognosis and in most cases the palliative care, which focus on gastrointestinal motility and patency, adequate analgesia and psychological care, is being introduced. Systemic chemotherapy is ineffective as a result of existence of physiological blood-peritoneal barrier that blocks hydrophilic chemotherapeutics. Nowadays there are attempts to eliminate this problem by performing cytoreductive surgery accompanied by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Undoubtedly the possibility to gain high local concentration of chemotherapeutic directly in peritoneal cavity is primary advantage of this method. In the carried out clinical trials the efficiency of this procedure in prolonging patient life in a relatively good comfort was proven. This method is highly recommended in case of peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer treatment. There are ongoing studies focused on proving the effectiveness of HIPEC in case of other types of neoplasms and use of that therapy as a prophylactic treatment before metastases occur.