Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC in Oncology

Oncology is advancing rapidly, and even neglected cancers can now be treated successfully.

Even if the disease cannot be completely cured, the use of innovative methods makes it possible to achieve long remission and increase life expectancy by several years.

Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC

In developed countries, cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and HIPEC (a method of treating cancer with heated chemo drugs pumped into the abdominal cavity) are increasingly being used.

HIPEC and cytoreductive surgery abroad are suitable options for patients whose cancer has spread inside the abdominal cavity.

When and how?

Some tumors in advanced stages spread to the peritoneum and affect organs of the abdominal cavity.

The peritoneal dissemination of cancer is most common in bowel, stomach, and ovarian cancer.

Without treatment, these forms of cancer lead to the death of the patient within 3-12 months.

Standard treatment involves systemic chemotherapy. Unfortunately, it is not always effective enough because of the peritoneal plasma barrier.

Drugs do not penetrate from the blood into the peritoneum in sufficient concentrations.

Therefore, the current treatment strategy for advanced abdominal cancers with peritoneal spread involves:

Starting from cytoreductive surgery (CRS)
Proceeding to intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)

During cytoreductive surgery, all visible tumor foci are removed. The abdominal cavity is then flushed with a heated solution of chemotherapeutic agents.

What are the results?

CRS and HIPEC treatment usually do not cure cancer completely. However, they can significantly increase a person’s life expectancy.

The results depend on many factors, primarily the type of cancer and the stage of the disease.

During surgery, doctors evaluate the Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Index (PCI), which reflects the number and size of tumor sites.

The best treatment results are achieved in patients with a PCI of less than 10-13 points, while a PCI of more than 20 points is considered critical.

Numerous studies have demonstrated improved patient survival if physicians perform HIPEC after surgery.

For example, a study by Elias et al reported an increase in 5-year survival for patients with colorectal cancer of up to 48%.

A study by Yang et al demonstrated achieving a median survival rate for patients with gastric cancer of 27.7 months.

Thus, cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC allow a person to live several years longer. The lower the PCI, the better the results will be. Some patients may live another 5-10 years or more after treatment, which is quite impressive.

And what if I want to have this treatment abroad?

Even if HIPEC is already available in your country, it is better to have the procedure at specialized cancer centers abroad.

It is not performed in the same way in different clinics: doctors use different drugs and different ways of delivering them into the peritoneal cavity, which significantly affects the results of therapy.

To be treated in one of the best clinics in the world, use the services of Booking Health, an international medical tourism company.

On the company’s website, you can compare prices and book a medical program. Beyond that, the Booking Health team addresses a number of topics:

Selecting the best HIPEC hospital with great performance indicators
Establishing communication with your doctor
Reducing the waiting time for treatment and making an appointment for dates convenient for you
Reducing the cost of medical services due to the exclusion of additional fees for foreign patients
Preparation of the medical program without the need to repeat previously performed examinations
Communication with the clinic after the completion of the program
Purchase and shipping of medications, if necessary
Organization of additional diagnostics, treatment, or rehabilitation abroad

Booking Health specialists provide quality services.

We will book your hotel and flight tickets, organize your transfer from the airport to the clinic and back, and stay in touch with you until you are back home in better health.