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Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy
Ovarian Cancer Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy
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Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer
Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a treatment we use for women with recurrent ovarian cancer.
HIPEC delivers a high dose of chemotherapy directly to cancer cells in the abdomen, with fewer side effects such as nausea and vomiting.
While chemotherapy is generally not as effective at reaching tumors in the ovaries, the HIPEC procedure isolates chemotherapy in the ovaries and abdomen, and minimizes chemotherapy exposure to the rest of the body. Heating the drugs may also increase absorption by tumor cells.
Here’s how HIPEC for ovarian cancer works:
- At the beginning of the procedure, the surgical oncologist removes as much of the cancerous tissue as possible in the ovaries and elsewhere in the abdomen.
- Next, the surgeon places catheters in the abdomen. High doses of a sterile solution containing chemotherapy drugs are circulated throughout the abdomen, for up to two hours.
- Hyperthermia is used to heat the solution, and precisely monitors the temperature and flow rate during the procedure.
- Once the hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy treatment is complete, the solution is drained from the abdomen and the incision is closed.
Next Topic: Targeted Drug Therapy for Ovarian Cancer
