Things you need to know
-HIPEC treatment is an advanced and latest cancer treatment protocol. It is a state-of-the-art technique performed in two phases.
-HIPEC treatment involves treating and destroying cancer cells in small areas of the cancer site.
-In this procedure, your surgeon inserts heated chemotherapy drugs to offer wider and precision drive access to cancerous cells.
-HIPEC chemotherapy is done for the treatment of a wide range of cancer occurring mainly in the abdominal cavity.
About HIPEC treatment
HIPEC stands for Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. It is an advanced cancer treatment that is performed when conventional chemotherapy methods fail to offer relief and progress. This procedure allows your cancer specialist to provide chemotherapy drugs in a heated form. HIPEC surgery is usually done for the treatment of abdominal cancers.
HIPEC chemotherapy is a two-step procedure in which the surgeon first removes the cancer cells followed by chemotherapy drug delivery.
What kinds of cancer can be treated with HIPEC treatment?
Primarily, HIPEC surgery is utilised for the treatment of cancers in the abdomen cavity. Following cancer can be treated with HIPEC treatment:
- Adrenal cancer
- Appendix cancer
- Colon and rectal cancer
- Gastric (stomach) cancer
- Liver cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Ovarian cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Peritoneal cancer
The HIPEC chemotherapy process
The HIPEC procedure is done majorly in two phases – surgery and chemotherapy delivery. This surgery is performed under the effect of anaesthesia. Your surgeon will make an incision on your stomach to access the site of cancer and remove it.
After successfully removing the cancerous cells and diseases nearby tissue, your doctor inserts a catheter into your abdominal cavity. This catheter is attached to a perfusion machine that heats up chemotherapy drugs. Then the heated chemotherapy drugs are flowed into the abdomen for a few hours.
The total time taken for the HIPEC procedure and chemotherapy delivery is dependent on the stage and spread of cancer.
After the drugs are given, your surgeon drains the abdomen and closes the incision.
Advantages of HIPEC treatment
Through HIPEC surgery, your doctor is able to reach small areas in the abdomen where cancer may have spread but is inaccessible through surgery alone. HIPEC surgery is a novel technique which has various benefits as compared to conventional chemotherapy. These include:
- Delivery of higher doses of chemotherapy drugs
- Direct exposure of chemotherapy drugs to the cancer site
- Long-term health outcomes
- More effective for advanced stages of cancer
- Fewer side-effects than traditional chemotherapy
Side-effects of HIPEC treatment
While HIPEC treatment is safer and provides more comfort compared to traditional chemotherapy, it is also associated with a range of possible risks and side effects. These include:
- Bleeding
- Wound infections
- Urinary tract infections
- Blood clots
- Pneumonia
- Bowel obstruction
- Fistula
- Sepsis
Recovery after HIPEC treatment
HIPEC surgery recovery depends upon various factors such as your age, overall health condition and type, stage and spread of cancer. It may take a few months to recover fully from HIPEC treatment.
HIPEC surgery is a latest technique that has been deemed effective for the treatment of abdominal cancers. It is a modular method offering higher success in eligible patients.
No, you will not feel any pain during HIPEC surgery as it is done under the effect of anaesthesia.
HIPEC surgery is indicated specifically for patients in whom cancer has spread only inside the abdomen.
