Background: The aim of our study is to analyze survival, treatment-related morbidity, and safety in our experience of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.
Methods: Sixty-four patients were treated. Survival curves were calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done, and Cox's proportional hazard model was used to identify significant factors.
Results: Global 5-year overall survival was 55%. Overall survival was also evaluated according to neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio and neutrophils to platelets ratio. Overall survival according to pre-operative serum albumin level shows a difference in the two groups (P < 0.05). We observed minor or no adverse events in 53 cases (89.8%), while 3 patients (5.1%) showed a grade III-IV complication and 3 post-operative deaths (5.1%). Post-operative complication also influenced overall survival; patients in whom a minor complication occurred had a 3-year overall survival (OS) of 62% vs. a 3-year OS of 28% in patients who underwent a major complication (P < 0.1).
Conclusions: Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) could be a valid and feasible option for selected patients affected by gastrointestinal malignancies' peritoneal carcinomatosis. Pre-operative parameters could be evaluated to choose patient who could benefit from cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.
Keywords: Gastrointestinal malignances; Intraperitoneal chemotherapy; Peritoneal carcinomatosis.