Cytoreductive surgery and Hyperthermic Intra-peritoneal Chemotherapy (CRS & HIPEC)

Cytoreductive surgery and Hyperthermic Intra-peritoneal Chemotherapy (CRS & HIPEC) refers to a procedure that entails surgical removal of all visible disease within the abdominal cavity, followed by instillation of heated chemotherapy into the cavity. This procedure is done under general anaesthesia and is an effective treatment for peritoneal cancers.

Peritoneal Cancers are commonly seen as a result of spread from an underlying cancer in the abdominal cavity, especially from colorectal, ovarian, stomach and appendiceal cancers. Occasionally, peritoneal cancers can also arise from the lining of the abdominal cavity itself, such as in primary peritoneal cancers or malignant mesotheliomas. In many of these situations, patients are told of their poor prognoses, but CRS and HIPEC have proven to offer long term survival and even cure in some patients.