Some cancers are extremely difficult to cure. Sometimes cancer extends to the lining areas of the abdominal (peritoneal) cavity and is called peritoneal carcinomatosis. This are at time difficult to treat and chances of disease coming back after treatment is high.To decrease this chances of disease coming back Hiperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) heated chemotherapy is given.

HIPEC is also known as Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy. HIPEC is a type of treatment in which heated chemotherapy is given intraperitoneally so that penetration of drugs are better .This helps in better disease control in the peritoneum.

It involves 2 stages:
• Cytoreductive Surgery

Cytoreductive surgery involves removal of visible cancer from the abdomen.This may involve removal of many organs multivisceral resection .This is required in order to remove entire disease and can be a very extensive surgery.

• HIPEC Procedure

Once cytoreductive surgery is completed the second stage is the HIPEC procedure. After your surgeon removes all visible tumors and diseased tissue from the abdomen, a catheter is inserted and heated chemotherapy drugs are circulated in the abdominal cavity at a maintained temperature 40-42 degree celsius. This circulation is maintained for 60-90 minutes.The abdominal cavity will be washed with saline solution once the procedure is over. The catheters are connected to a perfusion machine, which heats the chemotherapy drugs and flows them through your abdomen for one to two hours.

HIPEC offers some advantages over traditional chemotherapy. Benefits of HIPEC include:
• Chemotherapy is delivered directly to affected area at an increased tempreture and the absorbtion of chemotherapy is higher.
• More intense dose of chemotherapy, which can destroy more cancer cells.
• This form of chemotherapy is the best process to kill cancer cells, which are too small(microscopic) in size and are not visible to the naked eye.
• This innovative procedure can improve long-term outcomes and provide more treatment options for patients who have advanced stage disease.

Many patients tolerate HIPEC well however the specific risks will depend upon the type of surgery required to remove your cancer, as well as the specific drugs used with the HIPEC therapy. It is best to discuss this with your surgeon.