New Cancer Treatment Centers of America® Therapy Means Lower Recurrence Rate of Advanced Abdominal Cancers
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(CHICAGO) June 26, 2009 -- Thanks to a new and rare healing therapy now practiced at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), advanced abdominal cancers patients are seeing increased intervals of recurrence.
CTCA, a leading provider of innovative cancer care for patients living with complex and advanced-stage disease, now offers Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemoperfusion (HIPEC), a surgical procedure combining tumor resection, hyperthermia and intra-abdominal chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced abdominal cancers.
According to Dr. Charles Komen Brown, Surgical Oncologist at CTCA at Midwestern Regional Medical Center and one of the limited numbers of surgeons in the country regularly performing HIPEC, the procedure is delivered in the treatment of multiple cancers such as gastrointestinal and gynecologic malignancies that persist in the abdominal cavity of patients with disease on the exterior surfaces of their organs.
Clinical studies show HIPEC to be significantly more effective than surgery alone, thus offering these patients an improved prognosis and quality of life. Five-year data show patients undergoing this treatment live longer and have a better quality of life. The consensus statement: “Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the Management of Peritoneal Surface Malignancies of Colonic Origin” (which appears on the web site for the Annals of Surgical Oncology, and can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1245/s10434-006-9185-7), this innovative therapy, with surgery, is helping to significantly improve, and extend the lives of patients who are in desperate need.”
“We are excited to be able to offer this cutting edge technology for patients with advanced abdominal cancer. Standard chemotherapy is not efficient at getting into tumors inside the abdominal cavity,” Dr Brown says.
HIPEC isolates delivery of the chemotherapy to within the abdomen allowing for delivery of higher doses and minimum exposure to the rest of the body. The chemotherapy then kills any microscopic cells that may be on the surface of the organs or intestines. Additionally, the hyperthermia improves drug absorption by tumor cells and their susceptibility to the chemotherapy. As a result, HIPEC maximizes treatment efficacy while minimizing the normal side-effects of chemotherapy.
Here’s how HIPEC works:
- Prior to the procedure, the surgical oncologist performs surgery to remove or debulk any tumors.
- The surgeon then places a catheter into the patient’s abdomen and closes the incision around it.
- High doses of a heated sterile solution, which contains a chemotherapeutic agent, are circulated throughout the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity for up to two hours.
- Once the circulation time is complete, the chemo agent is drained and the abdomen is rinsed.
- ThermoChem HT technology, which was developed by ThermaSolutions, Inc, allows the delivery of the heated chemotherapy directly to the abdominal cavity and precisely manages the temperature and flow rate of the solution.
For more information about HIPEC or advanced treatment options at Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center, visit cancercenter.com.
About Charles Komen Brown, MD, PhD Prior to joining CTCA at Surgical Oncologist, Dr. Brown served as an attending surgeon, assistant professor of surgery and co-director of the surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. He was also an attending surgeon for the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. He has researched and written extensively on cancer-related subjects, including gene therapy, targeted therapy for melanoma and medical management of melanoma. His work has been published in such renowned clinical publications as Clinical Cancer Research, the Annals of Surgical Oncology and the International Journal of Cancer. Dr. Brown is a member of several professional organizations including the American College of Surgeons, American Association for Cancer Research, Society of Surgical Oncology, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
About Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) is a national network of hospitals providing a comprehensive, fully integrative approach to cancer treatment. CTCA serves patients with advanced cancer from all 50 states at facilities located in suburban Chicago, Philadelphia, Tulsa and suburban Phoenix. For more information about Cancer Treatment Centers of America, go to cancercenter.com.
