The treatment of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis has evolved greatly over the past 20 years. Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC), also known as peritoneal carcinomatosis, refers to tumor dissemination or spread of a cancer to neighboring organs.
Peritoneal carcinomatosis can have two origins: on the one hand, the peritoneum (pseudomyxoma and mesothelioma) and, on the other hand, an origin in tumors related to the Digestive System or Gynecology.
Treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis
The treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis combines cytoreduction surgery and HIPEC, which is intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy. Prior to the use of this combined treatment, peritoneal carcinomatosis was considered a terminal stage with a median survival of 20 months in cases of digestive origin.
Thanks to improvements in the surgical techniques used and safer chemotherapy administration protocols, complications associated with treatment have decreased. This has led to an increase in median survival in cases of digestive origin to 60 months.
One of the most important factors for the expansion of this combined treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis is the learning curve. Mortality can be reduced by 50% and morbidity by 30%, figures that can be compared to any digestive surgery such as pancreatectomy. The learning curve includes the correct selection of patients who are candidates for such a complex treatment.