HIPEC is an advanced treatment providing hope for patients with abdominal cancer.
When the diagnosis is abdominal cancer that has spread, you deserve to receive the best, most effective treatment. OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute is a leader in state-of-the-art cancer care, and we’re one of only two health care providers in Illinois outside of Chicago to offer hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) surgery.
HIPEC surgery is a treatment option for certain patients with inoperable or advanced stages of abdominal cancer that has spread to the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity). In these cases, HIPEC is a more effective treatment than systemic chemotherapy (traditional chemotherapy delivered through an IV).
HIPEC is most commonly used for treating the following types of abdominal cancer:
Studies are currently being conducted to determine if HIPEC can also be an effective treatment for pancreatic cancer.
After you’re placed under anesthesia, HIPEC surgery will be performed in two stages over the course of four to 14 hours. The first stage is called cytoreductive surgery, and the second stage is the HIPEC operation.
During cytoreductive surgery, a surgeon will make an incision in your abdomen to view and remove all visible cancerous tumors and diseased tissue.
During the HIPEC procedure, a surgeon inserts a catheter into the abdomen and temporarily sutures the abdomen shut. They then pump heated chemotherapy drugs into the abdominal cavity for one to two hours. During this time, the surgeon uses their hands to gently rock your body back and forth on the operating table. This ensures that the chemotherapy reaches all areas of the abdomen in order to destroy any remaining cancer cells. The surgeon then drains the chemotherapy from the abdomen and rinses the abdomen with a saline solution before the incision is permanently closed.
HIPEC side effects can include:
Recovery after HIPEC depends on how long the surgery takes and how much cancer needs to be removed. After surgery, you may be in the hospital for one to two weeks before going home to continue recovering.
After you’ve been referred to OSF Cancer Institute, you and your family will meet with a care team of medical professionals to discuss your medical information and develop your cancer treatment plan. You will also meet members of our support services team, which provides critically important diet and nutrition guidance, counseling, financial guidance, social services, spiritual support and much more.
After surgery, you will be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for close monitoring for at least two days. You may remain in the hospital for one to two weeks before going home to continue your recovery.
Our HIPEC team consists of a surgical oncologist (a surgeon), a medical oncologist, an advanced practice nurse and a cancer nurse navigator.
At OSF Cancer Institute, you can receive this advanced, state-of-the-art cancer care along with our complete line of support services – all close to home.
Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) and HIPEC are both chemotherapy treatment options for abdominal cancer that has spread to the lining of the abdominal cavity. However, PIPAC is much shorter (about 30 minutes per treatment) and less invasive than HIPEC. It’s a laparoscopic procedure in which chemotherapy is delivered as an aerosol into the abdomen. But while it’s less invasive than HIPEC, it does take numerous sessions to complete and does not include the surgical removal of tumors.
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During HIPEC surgery, you are under anesthesia and won’t feel any pain. After surgery, you can expect some degree of pain and discomfort, which is normal after a major surgery. However, our inpatient care team will closely monitor your pain and will provide appropriate medication to keep you comfortable.
The total length of time depends on how much cancer needs to be removed during the cytoreductive surgery portion of the procedure. Altogether, it can take anywhere from four to 14 hours.
It depends on your age, overall medical condition, physical fitness and whether the cancerous tumors can be surgically removed.
If you have a certain type of appendix cancer, you may undergo HIPEC multiple times. But if you have cancer that began in other organs, you may be a candidate for HIPEC surgery only once.
Before the HIPEC operation, we will educate you and your family on what to expect during your hospitalization and after you’re sent home. This includes symptoms to watch for once you’re discharged (fever, pain, etc.) and when to contact your doctor about those symptoms.
“Chemo wash” is simply another term for the HIPEC process of pumping hot chemotherapy into the abdominal cavity to kill remaining cancer cells after cytoreductive surgery.