Continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion for peritoneal carcinomatosis

Continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion (CHPP) with anticancer agents in warm saline was performed in 10 patients with cancer of the digestive tract and peritoneal carcinomatosis after resection of primary and metastatic lesions or both. Eight patients had colorectal cancer and one patient had recurring gastric cancer. CHPP was performed using saline containing mitomycin-C and 5-flurouracil at 42 degrees C to 43 degrees C for 60 minutes. One patient with pancreatic cancer received CHPP twice. After CHPP, the preoperative ascites of three patients disappeared. Four patients died of malignancy within 1 year of CHPP and one patient died of respiratory failure 5 months post-CHPP. The remaining five patients survived for more than 1 year after CHPP. There were no significant immediate postoperative complications, except for transient changes in liver function, white blood cell count and serum albumin level. While CHPP treatment appears to be a safe method of treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis, its long term benefits need further investigation.