Laparoscopic versus open approach for interval cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: a matched comparative study.

BACKGROUND: The use of the laparoscopic approach for the treatment of carcinomatosis from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the short-term outcomes of both laparoscopic and open approach for interval CRS+HIPEC in a matched cohort of patients with advanced EOC. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database including 254 patients treated with interval CRS-HIPEC between January 2016 and December 2021 was performed. Patients with primary disease and limited carcinomatosis (PCI ≤ 10) were selected. A comparative analysis of patients treated by either open (O-CRS-HIPEC) or the laparoscopic (L-CRS-HIPEC) approach was conducted. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and perioperative outcomes were analysed. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients were finally selected and enrolled into two comparable groups in this study. Of these, 14 patients were treated by interval L-CRS-HIPEC and 39 by interval O-CRS-HIPEC. The L-CRS-HIPEC group had a shorter hospital stay (5.6 ± 1.9 vs. 9.7 ± 9.8 days; p < 0.001) and a shorter time to return to systemic chemotherapy (4.3 ± 1.9 vs. 10.3 ± 16.8 weeks; p = 0.003). There were no significant differences in postoperative complications between both groups. The 2-year OS and DFS was 100% and 62% in the L-CRS-HIPEC group versus 92% and 60% in the O-CRS-HIPEC group, respectively (p = 0.96; p = 0.786). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the use of interval L-CRS-HIPEC for primary advanced EOC is associated with shorter hospital stay and return to systemic treatment while obtaining similar oncological results compared to the open approach. Further prospective research is needed to recommend this new approach for these strictly selected patients.

Learning curve for minimal invasive cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) procedures.

PURPOSE: The benefits of the minimally invasive approach for performing cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (L-CRS + HIPEC) have been described previously, associating an early recovery with similar oncologic outcomes in patients with limited peritoneal carcinomatosis. Currently, no studies are focusing on the learning curve for this emerging procedure. This study aimed to evaluate the L-CRS + HIPEC learning curve and its knock-on effect on the perioperative outcomes. METHODS: We identified all consecutive unselected patients who underwent L-CRS + HIPEC by a single surgeon between April 2016 and January 2022 (n = 51). Patients who underwent risk-reducing CRS + HIPEC (PCI = 0) or initial conversion due to an intraoperative PCI > 10 were excluded from the final analysis. To evaluate the learning curve, perioperative data were analysed using the cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were included in the final analysis. Major morbidity occurred in one patient (3.8%). The difficulty of the L-CRS + HIPEC procedures was categorised as low in 23.1% (n = 6), intermediate in 19.2% (n = 5), and advanced in 57.7% (n = 15). The mean length of hospital stay was 5.4 ± 1.5 days. No patient had a conversion to open surgery. The learning curve was divided into two distinct phases: the learning phase (1-14) and the consolidation phase (15-26). A significant decrease in the operative time (375 ± 103.1 vs 239.2 ± 63.6 min) was observed with no differences in complexity, the number of peritonectomy procedures, or morbidity. CONCLUSION: L-CRS + HIPEC is a complex procedure that must be performed in a high-volume and experienced oncologic unit, requiring a learning curve to achieve the consolidation condition, which could be established after 14 procedures.

A Proposal for Modification of the PSOGI Classification According to the Ki-67 Proliferation Index in Pseudomyxoma Peritonei.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare malignancy, classified according to the Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International (PSOGI) classification, whose response to treatment remains highly heterogeneous within the high-grade (HG) category. Molecular profiling of PMP cases might help to better categorize patients and predict treatment responses. METHODS: We studied the Ki-67 proliferation rate and P53 overexpression in tissue samples from our historical cohort of HG-PMP patients. We established as cut-off levels the third quartile of each marker to perform univariate and multivariate Cox regression survival analyses. According to these results, the HG-PMP category was divided into subcategories and a new survival analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 90/117 patients with PMP undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) were selected for secondary analysis. The survival analysis of the HG-PMP category for preoperative variables showed that a proliferation index defined by Ki-67 >15% is a bad prognostic factor, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.20 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-8.25). Accordingly, the HG-PMP group was divided using the Ki-67 15% cut-off. The new PSOGI/Ki-67 variable was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS), with an HR of 3.74 (95% CI 1.88-7.47), and disease-free survival (DFS), with an HR of 4.184 (95% CI 1.79-9.75). The estimated 5-year OS rate was 100%, 70% and 24% for the LG-PMP, HG-PMP ≤15% and HG-PMP >15% groups, respectively (p = 0.0001), while the 5-year DFS rate was 90%, 44% and 0%, respectively (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Division of the HG-PMP category of the PSOGI classification, according to the Ki-67 proliferation index, provides two well-defined subcategories, with significant differences in terms of OS and DFS, and hence high prognostic value.

From the Ronnett to the PSOGI Classification System for Pseudomyxoma Peritonei: A Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: Several classifications have been used for pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), and among these, the Ronnett classification is the most commonly used. However, a new consensual Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International (PSOGI) classification has recently been proposed. Nonetheless, to date, the ability of the PSOGI classification to predict survival based on its different disease histologic categories has not been validated. METHODS: This study enrolled 117 patients with PMP who had undergone cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) between 1997 and 2020. Cox proportional hazards regression models and time-dependent curve receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to assess the predictive capacity of both classification systems for the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of these patients. RESULTS: Significant differences in the 5-year OS rate were found for the different histologic grades according to each of the classifications. The completeness of cytoreduction score (CCS) was identified as a factor that predicted patient OS prognosis (p = 0.006). According to the time-dependent ROC curves at the "100" time point, adjusted by the CCS and DFS, the capacity to predict OS was optimal and achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of about 69% for OS and approximately 62% for DFS. CONCLUSIONS: Both the Ronnett and PSOGI classifications were able to predict survival optimally for this patient cohort. However, when the classifications were adjusted by the CCS, the predictive availability for OS was better with the PSOGI classification than with the Ronnett classification.

Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) for Gastric Cancer with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis: Multicenter Study of Spanish Group of Peritoneal Oncologic Surgery (GECOP).

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is traditionally considered a terminal stage of the disease. The use of a multimodal treatment, including cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), can benefit these patients. Our goal was to evaluate the morbidity and survival outcomes of these patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective, multicenter study from a prospective national database of patients diagnosed with PC secondary to GC treated with CRS and HIPEC from June 2006 to October 2017. RESULTS: Eighty-eight patients from seven specialized Spanish institutions were treated with CRS and HIPEC, with median age of 53 years; 51% were women. Median Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI) was 6, and complete cytoreduction was achieved in 80 patients (90.9%). HIPEC was administered in 85 cases with 4 different regimens (Cisplatin + Doxorubicin, Mitomycin-C + Cisplatin, Mitomycin-C and Oxaliplatin). Twenty-seven cases (31%) had severe morbidity (grade III-IV) and 3 patients died in the postoperative period (3.4%). Median follow-up was 32 months. Median overall survival (OS) was 21.2 months, with 1-year OS of 79.9% and 3-year OS of 30.9%. Median disease-free survival (DFS) was 11.6 months, with 1-year DFS of 46.1% and 3-year DFS of 21.7%. After multivariate analysis, the extent of peritoneal disease (PCI ≥ 7) was identified as the only independent factor that influenced OS (hazard ratio [HR] 2.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26-4.46, p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The multimodal treatment, including CRS and HIPEC, for GC with PC can improve the survival results in selected patients (PCI < 7) and in referral centers.

Residual tumour less than 0.25 centimetres and positive lymph nodes are risk factors for early relapse in recurrent ovarian peritoneal carcinomatosis treated with cytoreductive surgery, HIPEC and systemic chemotherapy.

AIM: The cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has showed promising results for the survival in patients with recurrent ovarian carcinomatosis, however, some of them will recur within the first year. The aim of this study is focussed on identifying the risk factors to develop the recurrence within the first year after an optimal CRS-HIPEC in patients with recurrent ovarian carcinomatosis. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis from recurrent ovarian cancer treated by CRS + HIPEC were selected for analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between the variables and the early recurrence. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 42.5 months. The mean age was 56.2 years. Early recurrence was observed in the 36%. The group early recurrence presented a higher rate of optimal cytoreductions CC1 (16.2% vs. 3.5%), lymph nodes (32.5% vs. 15%) and the use of hemoderivates (40.5% vs. 33%). Others parameters as Peritoneal Cancer Index, major morbidity? 3, re-operations rate and time to adjuvant chemotherapy were similar in both groups. The five years OS was 58%, for the non-early recurrence was higher than the early recurrence group (64% vs. 41%). In the multivariate analysis, CC-1 (OR 5.73; 1.16-32.04) and positive lymph nodes (OR 2.26; 1.01-4.32) proved to be independent factors for the early recurrence. CONCLUSION: The combination of both (CC1 and positive lymph nodes) makes that the indication of CRS and HIPEC should be individualised. However, the major morbidity, stage IV and the time to the adjuvant treatment were not associated with an early recurrence, so that, a major aggressiveness is recommended to achieve a CC0.

Long-term survival with peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis from intraductal mucinous papillary pancreatic carcinoma treated with complete cytoreduction and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Traditionally, peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) was regarded as an untreatable condition; however, the introduction of locoregional therapies combining cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) approximately two decades ago has changed this view. There is controversy, however, when a PC arises from pancreatic cancer. We have reported on an extraordinary case of an aggressive pseudomixoma peritonei arising from an invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) treated with complete cytoreduction and HIPEC. This combination of treatments has not been previously described. Moreover, a very long-term disease-free survival of up to 70 months has been achieved by this combined approach. This approach may provide some optimism for considerable life extension in selected patients who present with an aggressive peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis of pancreatic origin considered suitable only for palliative care.

Outcome of patients with aggressive pseudomyxoma peritonei treated by cytoreductive surgery and intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare disease with an incidence rate of approximately 1 per million a year. During the past few years, there has been a survival benefit for these patients treated by complete cytoreduction and perioperative chemotherapy. Better survival rates were found in the adenomucinosis group than the carcinomatosis group. The purpose of our study was to analyze the outcome and the prognosis factors of only high-grade PMP. METHODS: We selected 38 patients from a prospective database of 59 with high-grade PMP from appendiceal origin who were treated by cytoreduction surgery and HIPEC at the Hospital University Reina Sofia (Cordoba, Spain) between 1998 and July 2012. Clinical, surgical, analytical, radiological, and histological data were obtained prospectively. Survival curves were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, a univariate analysis was performed and the log rank-test was used to analyze the effects of several clinical and pathologic factors on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 32 months (range, 2-170). Median age at diagnosis was 57 years (range, 32-77). In 89.5 % of patients, optimal cytoreduction CC-0 (57.9 %) and CC-1 (31.6 %) was achieved. In the remaining 10.5 %, cytoreduction was classified as CC-2. The median PCI score was 21 (range, 4-38). Morbidity complications ≥ Grade 3 in the CTCAE v 3.0 classification was 18.4 %. One patient died 45 days postsurgery. Median OS at the end of follow-up was 36 months (range, 9-83); overall 5-year survival rate was 58.7 %. In the univariate analysis for OS, significant values were obtained for lymph-node involvement and suboptimal cytoreduction. The 5-year OS was 64.5 % when an optimal cytoreduction was achieved. Median DFS was 36 months (17-54); 3-year DFS rate was 49.1 %. Neoadjuvant therapy did not affect the survival of these patients; there was no difference in the 5-year OS (43 % vs. 75 %, p = 0.068). CONCLUSIONS: In aggressive PMP, cytoreduction with peritonectomy procedure plus HIPEC is a safe procedure that suggests an improvement to the survival rates. Because optimal cytoreduction is a primary prognostic factor for survival rates, this procedure would have to be performed in an experienced center with a low morbidity. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has not demonstrated benefits in these patients and further research will be required.

Intraoperative oxygen tension and redox homeostasis in Pseudomyxoma peritonei: A short case series.

Introduction: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare malignant disease characterized by a massive multifocal accumulation of mucin within the peritoneal cavity. The current treatment option is based on complete cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. However, the recurrence is frequent with subsequent progression and death. To date, most of the studies published in PMP are related to histological and genomic analyses. Thus, the need for further studies unveiling the underlying PMP molecular mechanisms is urgent. In this regard, hypoxia and oxidative stress have been extensively related to tumoral pathologies, although their contribution to PMP has not been elucidated. Methods: In this manuscript, we have evaluated, for the first time, the intratumoral real-time oxygen microtension (pO2mt) in the tumor (soft and hard mucin) and surrounding healthy tissue from five PMP patients during surgery. In addition, we measured hypoxia (Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1a; HIF-1α) and oxidative stress (catalase; CAT) markers in soft and hard mucin from the same five PMP patient samples and in five control samples. Results: The results showed low intratumoral oxygen levels, which were associated with increased HIF-1α protein levels, suggesting the presence of a hypoxic environment in these tumors. We also found a significant reduction in CAT activity levels in soft and hard mucin compared with healthy tissue samples. Discussion: In conclusion, our study provides the first evidence of low intratumoral oxygen levels in PMP patients associated with hypoxia and oxidative stress markers. However, further investigation is required to understand the potential role of oxidative stress in PMP in order to find new therapeutic strategies.

Efficacy and Safety of Intraoperative Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Colon Cancer: A Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Peritoneal metastasis in patients with locally advanced colon cancer (T4 stage) is estimated to recur at a rate of approximately 25% at 3 years from surgical resection and is associated with poor prognosis. There is controversy regarding the clinical benefit of prophylactic hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in these patients. Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of intraoperative HIPEC in patients with locally advanced colon cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants: This open-label, phase 3 randomized clinical trial was conducted in 17 Spanish centers from November 15, 2015, to March 9, 2021. Enrolled patients were aged 18 to 75 years with locally advanced primary colon cancer diagnosed preoperatively (cT4N02M0). Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive cytoreduction plus HIPEC with mitomycin C (30 mg/m2 over 60 minutes; investigational group) or cytoreduction alone (comparator group), both followed by systemic adjuvant chemotherapy. Randomization of the intention-to-treat population was done via a web-based system, with stratification by treatment center and sex. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was 3-year locoregional control (LC) rate, defined as the proportion of patients without peritoneal disease recurrence analyzed by intention to treat. Secondary end points were disease-free survival, overall survival, morbidity, and rate of toxic effects. Results: A total of 184 patients were recruited and randomized (investigational group, n = 89; comparator group, n = 95). The mean (SD) age was 61.5 (9.2) years, and 111 (60.3%) were male. Median duration of follow-up was 36 months (IQR, 27-36 months). Demographic and clinical characteristics were similar between groups. The 3-year LC rate was higher in the investigational group (97.6%) than in the comparator group (87.6%) (log-rank P = .03; hazard ratio [HR], 0.21; 95% CI, 0.05-0.95). No differences were observed in disease-free survival (investigational, 81.2%; comparator, 78.0%; log-rank P = .22; HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.41-1.22) or overall survival (investigational, 91.7%; comparator, 92.9%; log-rank P = .68; HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.26-2.37). The definitive subgroup with pT4 disease showed a pronounced benefit in 3-year LC rate after investigational treatment (investigational: 98.3%; comparator: 82.1%; log-rank P = .003; HR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.01-0.70). No differences in morbidity or toxic effects between groups were observed. Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, the addition of HIPEC to complete surgical resection for locally advanced colon cancer improved the 3-year LC rate compared with surgery alone. This approach should be considered for patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02614534.

The Role of Intraperitoneal Intraoperative Chemotherapy with Paclitaxel in the Surgical Treatment of Peritoneal Carcinomatosis from Ovarian Cancer-Hyperthermia versus Normothermia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of ovarian carcinomatosis with cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC is still controversial. The effect and pharmacokinetics of the chemotherapeutics used (especially taxanes) are currently under consideration. METHODS: A phase II, simple blind and randomized controlled trial (NTC02739698) was performed. The trial included 32 patients with primary or recurrent ovarian carcinomatosis undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy with paclitaxel (PTX): 16 in hyperthermic (42-43 °C) and 16 in normothermic (37 °C) conditions. Tissue, serum and plasma samples were taken in every patient before and after intraperitoneal chemotherapy to measure the concentration of PTX. To analyze the immunohistochemical profile of p53, p27, p21, ki67, PCNA and caspase-3 and the pathological response, a scale of intensity and percentage of expression and a grouped Miller and Payne system were used, respectively. Perioperative characteristics and morbi-mortality were also analyzed. RESULTS: The main characteristics of patients, surgical morbidity, hemotoxicity and nephrotoxicity were similar in both groups. The concentration of paclitaxel in the tissue was higher than that observed in plasma and serum, although no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups. No statistically significant association regarding pathological response and apoptosis (caspase-3) between both groups was proved. There were no statistically significant differences between the normothermic and the hyperthermic group for pathological response and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: The use of intraperitoneal PTX has proven adequate pharmacokinetics with reduction of cell cycle and proliferation markers globally without finding statistically significant differences between its administration under hyperthermia versus normothermia conditions.

Surgical treatment of vena cava leiomyosarcomas: Series of cases in a referral center and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Primary tumors of the inferior vena cava are rare tumors of mesenchymal origin. They arise from the smooth muscles of the vena cava wall. Due to its low prevalence, there are few definitive data on its treatment and prognosis. Its treatment is based on general oncological principles. METHODS: A series of 6 cases operated from 2010 to 2020 were analyzed. Different parameters related to the demographic characteristics, the tumor, the treatment received, and the results obtained in survival and morbidity were analyzed. In addition, a bibliographical review of the currently available evidence was carried out. RESULTS: Optimal surgical resection was accomplished in all patients with R0 in 4/6 and R1 in 2/6. The greatest morbidity occurred in a patient who died in the intraoperative period. Cavorraphy was performed in one patient and cavoplasty in 5/6 using cryopreserved graft in 3/6 and prothesis in 2/6. The 50% were still alive at the end of the follow-up (with a mean follow-up of 10.7 months). The mean survival was 11.3 ± 9.07 months. 3/6 patients presented hematogenous recurrences with a disease-free interval of 9 ± 2 months. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis and treatment of inferior vena cava leiomyosarcoma is still a challenge. Due to its low prevalence, it will be difficult to establish a totally standardized treatment and its approach is recommended in specialized centers. On the other hand, a multicentric study should be made to collect the most cases as possible in order to advance in the understanding of the approach to this disease.

Surgical treatment of vena cava leiomyosarcomas: Series of cases in a referral center and literature review. / Tratamiento quirúrgico de los leiomiosarcomas de vena cava. Serie de casos en un hospital de tercer nivel y revisión de la literatura.

INTRODUCTION: Primary tumors of the inferior vena cava are rare tumors of mesenchymal origin. They arise from the smooth muscles of the vena cava wall. Due to its low prevalence, there are few definitive data on its treatment and prognosis. Its treatment is based on general oncological principles. METHODS: A series of six cases operated from 2010 to 2020 were analyzed. Different parameters related to the demographic characteristics, the tumor, the treatment received, and the results obtained in survival and morbidity were analyzed. In addition, a bibliographical review of the currently available evidence was carried out. RESULTS: Optimal surgical resection was accomplished in all patients with R0 in 4/6 and R1 in 2/6. The greatest morbidity occurred in a patient who died in the intraoperative period. Cavography was performed in one patient and cavoplasty in 5/6 using cryopreserved graft in 3/6 and prothesis in 2/6. The 50% were still alive at the end of the follow-up (with a mean follow-up of 10.7 months). The mean survival was 11.3±9.07 months. 3/6 patients presented hematogenous recurrences with a disease-free interval of 9±2 months. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis and treatment of inferior vena cava leiomyosarcoma is still a challenge. Due to its low prevalence, it will be difficult to establish a totally standardized treatment and its approach is recommended in specialized centers. On the other hand, a multicentric study should be made to collect the most cases as possible in order to advance in the understanding of the approach to this disease.

Systemic inflammatory markers for the detection of infectious complications and safe discharge after cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC.

INTRODUCTION: Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS + HIPEC) in patients with ovarian peritoneal carcinomatosis may be associated with a high postoperative morbidity. An early discrimination of postoperative complications is crucial for both improving clinical outcomes and proposing a safe discharge. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a cohort of 122 patients with advanced ovarian cancer (FIGO III-IV), we analyzed the diagnostic performance of three systemic inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, white blood cell count and systemic immune-inflammation index) between the 5th to 8th postoperative days to prediction postoperative infectious complications. An optimal cut-off value was established in order to discriminate between the group of patients who developed infectious complications or not during the postoperative period. RESULTS: The median peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) was 15. The overall infectious morbidity was 25.4% (31 patients out of 122), of which, 32% (10 patients out of 31) had suffered severe postoperative complications (Dindo-Clavien III-IV). The most accurate results for detecting infectious complications were obtained by using C-reactive protein, which presented an excellent diagnostic performance, especially on the 7th and 8th postoperative days (AUC = 0,857 and 0,920; respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These results support that it is safe to discharge patients with C-reactive protein concentrations lower than 88 mg/L and 130 mg/L, on the 7th and 8th postoperative days, respectively.

Colorectal peritoneal metastases: Optimal management review.

The peritoneum is a common site of dissemination for colorrectal cancer, with a poorer prognosis than other sites of metastases. In the last two decades, it has been considered as a locoregional disease progression and treated as such with curative intention treatments. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is the actual reference treatment for these patients as better survival results have been reached as compared to systemic chemotherapy alone, but its therapeutic efficacy is still under debate. Actual guidelines recommend that the management of colorectal cancer with peritoneal metastases should be led by a multidisciplinary team carried out in experienced centers and consider CRS + HIPEC for selected patients. Accumulative evidence in the last three years suggests that this is a curative treatment that may improve patients disease-free survival, decrease the risk of recurrence, and does not increase the risk of treatment-related mortality. In this review we aim to gather the latest results from referral centers and opinions from experts about the effectiveness and feasibility of CRS + HIPEC for treating peritoneal disease from colorectal malignancies.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: A multidisciplinary challenge.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors located in the alimentary tract. Its usual manifestation is gastrointestinal bleeding. However, small asymptomatic lesions are frequently detected as incidental finding. Characteristically, most GISTs (> 95%) are positive for the KIT protein (CD117) by IHC staining and approximately 80%-90% of GISTs carry a mutation in the c-KIT or PDGFRA genes. Mutational analysis should be performed when planning adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy, due to its possible resistance to conventional treatment. The arise of tyrosine kinase inhibitor has supposed a revolution in GISTs treatment being useful as adjuvant, neoadjuvant or recurrence disease treatment. That is why a multidisciplinary approach to this disease is required. The correct characterization of the tumor at diagnosis (the diagnosis of recurrences and the evaluation of the response to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors) is fundamental for facing these tumors and requires specialized Endoscopist, Radiologists and Nuclear Medicine Physician. Surgery is the only potentially curative treatment for suspected resectable GIST. In the case of high risk GISTs, surgery plus adjuvant Imatinib-Mesylate for 3 years is the standard treatment. Neoadjuvant imatinib-mesylate should be considered to shrink the tumor in case of locally advanced primary or recurrence disease, unresectable or potentially resectable metastasic tumors, and potentially resectable disease in complex anatomic locations to decrease the related morbidity. In the case of Metastatic GIST under Neoadjuvant treatment, when there are complete response, stable disease or limited disease progression, complete cytoreductive surgery could be a therapeutic option if feasible.

Peritoneal metastases of colorectal origin treated by cytoreduction and HIPEC: An overview.

Colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis was considered a terminal condition with a merely palliative treatment that included only supportive care, palliative surgery and the best systemic chemotherapy. Since the birth of a new approach, cytoreductive surgery with peritonectomy procedures together with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy and/or early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy to treat peritoneal carcinomatosis, many research groups contributed with promising results using this procedure being up to date this strategy the only one that has shown curative benefits on colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis achieving reported overall survival rates up to 64 mo and five-year survival rates up to 51%. The aim of this paper is to expose an updated overview of the therapeutic possibilities of these procedures in colorectal peritoneal metastases in the same way that our Unit of Oncologic Surgery has performed since 1997 with more than four hundred procedures.

Gastrointestinal complications in 147 consecutive patients with peritoneal surface malignancy treated by cytoreductive surgery and perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is increasingly used in the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis from gastrointestinal malignancies. The purpose of this study is to reevaluate the incidence of gastrointestinal events and identify risk factors associated with this treatment approach. Between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2009, 147 patients with appendiceal and colorectal carcinomatosis were treated. Gastrointestinal events were analyzed. The overall incidence of grade I-IV gastrointestinal events was 17%. There were 4 grade III gastrointestinal events that occurred in 4 patients and 11 grade IV gastrointestinal events that occurred in 8 patients. On univariate analysis of grade I-IV events a statistically significant association was observed with the following variables: histological grade, peritoneal cancer index (PCI), small bowel resection, colorectal anastomosis, and the number of anastomoses performed per patient. By multivariate analysis, PCI was identified as the only independent risk factor for gastrointestinal complications. CRS combined with a uniform HIPEC regimen is associated with a 17% gastrointestinal morbidity rate (grade I-IV). The frequency of gastrointestinal complications was associated with a large extent of disease measured by PCI (>30).