Role of CRS and HIPEC in appendiceal and colorectal malignancies: Indian experience

Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy are recently being considered as standard of treatment for patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis of appendiceal or colorectal origin. It is an extensive procedure with high morbidity. Being a newer treatment modality, not much experience has been published from an Indian center about it.

All patients of colorectal and appendiceal cancer with peritoneal metastasis from January 2012 to March 2015 who were planned for cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) were analyzed with respect to morbidity, mortality, and survival.

Thirty-three patients were planned for cytoreductive surgery (CRS)+HIPEC for peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal or appendiceal origin. There were 18 males and 15 females and mean age was 48.2 years (21-75 years). Of these, 14 had disease from appendiceal origin and 19 of colorectal origin. Cytoreductive surgery was performed 29 times in 27 patients and was abandoned in 6 patients. Overall morbidity was 55.17% with hematological toxicity being the most common (46.1%) and mortality being 3.4%. Four-year actuarial survival of patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC was 58.39% and 33.33% for patients undergoing CRS alone (p=0.302). Appendiceal primary neoplasms had better overall survival compared to colorectal primary (63.64% vs. 50.68% 4-year actuarial survival).

CRS and HIPEC can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality in selected patients of colorectal and appendiceal malignancies with peritoneal carcinomatosis. In addition, it is associated with better overall survival. Morbidity profile of Indian subcontinent patients is different from that of western population with hematological toxicity being the most common.