Subsequent HIPEC Treatment Improves Mesothelioma Survival Says Researchers

If one cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC procedure for mesothelioma is good, subsequent treatments may be even better. That is the central message of research conducted at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida. The study’s aim was to assess overall survival among peritoneal mesothelioma patients who had not just one, but two or more rounds of heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) after cytoreductive surgery.

The cytoreduction/HIPEC approach has become popular for peritoneal mesothelioma, a treatment-resistant cancer of abdominal membranes caused by asbestos. Cytoreductive surgery involves removing as much of the mesothelioma tumor as possible from the abdomen. Because the shape and spreading pattern of mesothelioma tumors make complete cytoreduction difficult, the surgery is often followed by a rinse with a heated solution of chemotherapy drugs to kill as many residual cancer cells as possible.

The new study focused on 29 patients who underwent surgery for peritoneal mesothelioma at Moffitt between June 2004 and March 2012. All but three of these patients also had the HIPEC treatment right after surgery. Of these, 8 patients returned later to have a second HIPEC procedure in an effort to slow or stop the regrowth of their mesothelioma.

Read the full article at: http://www.survivingmesothelioma.com/news/view.asp?ID=001551#.Un2pilNYWSo