Cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC protocols

Cytoreductive surgery involves removing visible cancer tumors from the abdomen to reduce tumor burden. Following this, Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) delivers heated chemotherapy directly into the abdominal cavity during surgery. The heat increases cancer cell kill efficiency, while direct application allows high local drug concentration with reduced systemic side effects. Together, these procedures aim to improve outcomes for cancers confined to the peritoneal cavity, such as some advanced ovarian or colon cancers. Protocols vary but typically include extensive surgical removal followed immediately by perfusing the abdomen with heated chemotherapy for about 30-90 minutes.