Totally intracorporeal colorectal anastomosis (TICA) versus classical mini-laparotomy for specimen extraction, after segmental bowel resection for deep endometriosis: a single-center experience.

PURPOSE: The surgical approach to bowel endometriosis is still unclear. The aim of the study is to compare TICA to conventional specimen extractions and extra-abdominal insertion of the anvil in terms of both complications and functional outcomes. METHODS: This is a single-center, observational, retrospective study conducted enrolling symptomatic women underwent laparoscopic excision of deep endometriosis with segmental bowel resection between September 2019 and June 2022. Women who underwent TICA were compared to classical technique (CT) in terms of intra- and postoperative complications, moreover, functional outcomes relating to the pelvic organs were assessed using validated questionnaires [Knowles-Eccersley-Scott-Symptom (KESS) questionnaire and Gastro-Intestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI)] for bowel function. Pain symptoms were assessed using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores. RESULTS: The sample included 64 women. TICA was performed on 31.2% (n = 20) of the women, whereas CT was used on 68.8% (n = 44). None of the patients experienced rectovaginal, vesicovaginal, ureteral or vesical fistula, or ureteral stenosis and uroperitoneum, and in no cases was it necessary to reoperate. Regarding the two surgical approaches, no significant difference was observed in terms of complications. As concerns pain symptoms at 6-month follow-up evaluations on stratified data, except for dysuria, all VAS scales reported showed significant reductions between median values, for both surgery interventions. As well, significant improvements were further observed in KESS scores and overall GIQLI. Only the GIQLI evaluation was significantly smaller in the TICA group compared to CT after the 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find any significant differences in terms of intra- or post-operative complications compared TICA and CT, but only a slight improvement in the Gastro-Intestinal Quality of Life Index in patients who underwent the CT compared to the TICA technique.

Robotic resection of left renal vein with preservation of left kidney for leiomyosarcoma: Case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Radical surgical resection with negative margins is the mainstay of treatment for retroperitoneal vascular leiomyosarcomas. Given the retroperitoneal location of these tumors, open surgery is, historically, the chosen surgical approach, however, it is burdened with high postoperative morbidity. In selected cases, the small dimension of the tumor and a favorable location, allow to perform a minimally invasive treatment. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 67-year-old female patient with a diagnosis of a leiomyosarcoma arising from the left renal vein underwent a robotic resection of the left renal vein with preservation of the left kidney and a relative outflow trough the gonadal vessels. The patient was discharged on the fourth postoperative day without any complications and there was no tumor recurrence noted during the 24-month follow-up period. DISCUSSION: Vascular retroperitoneal leiomyosarcomas are very rare tumors requiring a complete en bloc gross tumor resection in order to achieving microscopically negative margins on the vein of origin. Thanks to the preoperative histological diagnosis and radiological study of the neoplasm, it was possible to proceed to a highly personalized and minimally invasive treatment with respect of oncological criteria. CONCLUSION: In selected cases, a minimally invasive surgery of vascular leiomyosarcoma could be a feasible and safe treatment option.

Vascular- and nerve-sparing bowel resection for deep endometriosis: A retrospective single-center study.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical management of bowel endometriosis is still controversial. Recently, many authors have pointed out the potential benefits of preserving the superior rectal artery, thus ensuring better perfusion of the anastomosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the complication rate and functional outcomes of a bowel resection technique for deep endometriosis (DE) involving a nerve- and vascular-sparing approach. METHODS: A single-center retrospective study was conducted by enrolling patients who underwent segmental resection of the rectus sigmoid for DE in our department between September 2019 and April 2022. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded for each woman, and functional outcomes relating to the pelvic organs were assessed using validated questionnaires (Knowles-Eccersley-Scott-Symptom [KESS] questionnaire and Gastro-Intestinal Quality of Life Index [GIQLI] for bowel function, Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms [BFLUTS] for urinary function, and Female Sexual Function Index [FSFI] for sexual function). These were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively after 6 months from surgery. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients were enrolled. No patients had Clavien-Dindo grade 3 or 4 complications, there were no rectovaginal fistulas or ureteral lesions, and in no cases was it necessary to reoperate. Temporary bladder voiding deficits were reported in 8.2% of patients, which were treated with self-catheterizations, always resolving within 45 days of surgery. Gastrointestinal function evaluated by KESS and GIQLI improved significantly after surgery, whereas sexual function appeared to worsen, although without reaching the level of statistically significant validity. CONCLUSION: Our vascular- and nerve-sparing segmental bowel resection technique for DE had a low intraoperative and postoperative complication rate and produced an improvement in gastrointestinal function after surgery.

Pressurized IntraPeritoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy (PIPAC) Applied to Platinum-Resistant Recurrence of Ovarian Tumor: A Single-Institution Experience (ID: PARROT Trial).

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of Pressurized IntraPeritoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy (PIPAC) in platinum-resistant recurrence of ovarian cancer and peritoneal carcinomatosis, while our secondary endpoint was to establish any changes in quality of life estimated via the EORTC QLQ-30 and QLQ-OV28 questionnaires. METHODS: In this monocentric, single-arm, phase II trial, women were prospectively recruited and every 28-42 days underwent courses of PIPAC with doxorubicin 2.1 mg/m2 followed by cisplatin 10.5 mg/m2 via sequential laparoscopy. RESULTS: Overall, 98 PIPAC procedures were performed on 43 women from January 2016 to January 2020; three procedures were aborted due to extensive intra-abdominal adhesions. The clinical benefit rate (CBR) was reached in 82% of women. Three cycles of PIPAC were completed in 18 women (45%), and 13 (32.5%) and 9 (22.5%) patients were subjected to one and two cycles, respectively. During two PIPAC procedures, patients experienced an intraoperative intestinal perforation. There were no treatment-related deaths. Nineteen patients showed no response according to the Peritoneal Regression Grading Score (PRGS) and 8 patients showed minor response according to the PRGS. Median time from ovarian cancer relapse to disease progression was 12 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.483-17.517), while the median overall survival was 27 months (95% CI 20.337-33.663). The EORTC QLQ-28 and EORTC QLQ-30 scores did not worsen during therapy. CONCLUSIONS: PIPAC seems a feasible approach for the treatment of this subset of patients, without any impact on their quality of life. Since this study had a small sample size and a single-center design, future research is mandatory, such as its application in addition to systemic chemotherapy.

Gastric cancer with peritoneal metastases: a single center outline and comparison of different surgical and intraperitoneal treatments.

INTRODUCTION: Gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis (GCPM) has an unfavourable prognosis. Cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS + HIPEC) and pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) are promising treatment options that have been shown to improve survival. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of different treatments such as systemic chemotherapy, systemic chemotherapy + PIPAC, and CRS + HIPEC in patients with GCPM. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This single-centre retrospective study included 82 patients with GCPM treated between January 2016 and June 2021. After first-line chemotherapy, depending on disease response and burden, the patients were divided into three treatment groups: chemotherapy alone, chemotherapy + PIPAC, and CRS + HIPEC. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) from diagnosis, which was compared among the treatment groups. RESULTS: Thirty-seven (45.1%) patients were administered systemic chemotherapy alone, 25 (30.4%) received chemotherapy + PIPAC, and 20 (24.4%) underwent CRS + HIPEC. The CRS + HIPEC group had better OS (median 24 months) than the PIPAC group (15 months, p = 0.01) and chemotherapy group (5 months, p = 0.0001). Following CRS + HIPEC, the postoperative grade 3-4 complication rate was 25%, and no postoperative in-hospital deaths occurred. The median disease-free survival (DFS) was 12 months. Multivariate analysis identified peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) > 7 as an independent predictor of worse DFS. No independent predictors of OS were identified. CONCLUSION: Among patients with GCPM, we identified a highly selected population with oligometastatic disease. In this group, CRS + HIPEC provided a significant survival advantage with an acceptable major complication rate compared with other available therapies (systemic chemotherapy alone or in combination with PIPAC).

Integrated Neurosurgical Management of Retroperitoneal Benign Nerve Sheath Tumors.

Peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNST) of the retroperitoneum are rare and are often treated by general surgeons dealing with retroperitoneal cancers. However, resection without the correct microsurgical technique can cause permanent neurological deficits and pain. Here, we discuss our interdisciplinary approach based on the integration of expertise from neurosurgery and abdominal surgery, allowing for both safe exposure and nerve-sparing microsurgical resection of these lesions. We present a series of 15 patients who underwent resection of benign retroperitoneal or pelvic PNST at our institution. The mean age of patients was 48.4 years; 67% were female. Tumors were 14 schwannomas and 1 neurofibroma. Eight patients (53%) reported neurologic symptoms preoperatively. The rate of complete resection was 87% (n = 13); all symptomatic patients showed improvement of their preoperative symptoms. There were no postoperative motor deficits; one patient (7%) developed a permanent sensory deficit. At a mean postoperative follow-up of 31 months, we observed no recurrences. To our best knowledge, this is the second-largest series of benign retroperitoneal PNST consistently managed with microsurgical techniques. Our experience confirms that interdisciplinary management allows for safe treatment of these tumors with good neurological and oncological outcomes.

Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) in multimodal therapy for patients with oligometastatic peritoneal gastric cancer: a randomized multicenter phase III trial PIPAC VEROne.

Objectives: Peritoneal carcinomatosis is the most frequent site of metastases in patients with gastric cancer. Current standard treatment is palliative systemic chemotherapy with very poor prognosis. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) resulted in long-term benefits in selected patients. Among patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, a distinctive subset is oligometastatic disease which is characterized by low metastatic burden. Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) is a recent technique of intraperitoneal chemotherapy used in combination with systemic chemotherapy with promising results. Methods: PIPAC VER-One is a prospective, randomized, multicenter phase III clinical trial that aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of PIPAC in combination with systemic chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer and synchronous positive peritoneal cytology and/or limited peritoneal metastases (peritoneal cancer index [PCI] ≤6). Patients will be randomized into two arms: arm A (control) treated with standard systemic chemotherapy and arm B (experimental) treated with a bidirectional scheme including PIPAC and systemic chemotherapy. Results: Primary endpoint is the secondary resectability rate. Secondary endpoints are: overall survival (OS), pregression-free survival (PFS), disease-free survival (DFS), histological response assessed both on primary tumor and peritoneal lesions, quality of life (QoL), complication rate (CTCAE v5), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER). Conclusions: The role of PIPAC in multimodal treatment for oligometastatic gastric cancer will be investigated in this trial.

Prophylactic surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC CO2) versus standard surgery in colorectal carcinoma at high risk of peritoneal carcinomatosis: short-term and long-term outcomes from the CHECK study - protocol for a randomised, multicentre, phase 3 trial.

INTRODUCTION: Up to one-fifth of patients with colorectal cancer will develop peritoneal metastases, frequently without other districts' involvement. Despite the recent unsuccesses of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for colorectal cancer peritoneal metastases treatment, the rationale in the prophylactic setting remains strong. Several clinical and pharmacokinetic data suggest that the efficacy of intraperitoneal chemotherapy is highest when the disease is microscopic. However, robust evidence demonstrating whether the addition of HIPEC for high-risk colorectal cancers offers better control of local recurrence is lacking. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a multicentre randomised phase 3 trial comparing prophylactic surgery plus HIPEC CO2 with mitomycin, over standard surgical excision in patients with colorectal cancer at high risk of peritoneal carcinomatosis; 388 patients will be included in this study. The primary objective is to compare the efficacy of prophylactic surgery (radical colorectal resection, omentectomy, appendectomy, round ligament of the liver resection and bilateral adnexectomy) plus HIPEC CO2 with mitomycin and standard surgery in terms of local recurrence-free survival. The main secondary endpoints are disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) and safety. The primary endpoint will be described with a cumulative incidence function and will be analysed with Grey test to take account of the competing risks. DFS and OS will be described with the Kaplan-Meier method. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This trial has been evaluated by the Italian Medicines Agency, local ethics committees and will be submitted to the Ministry of Health to notify the start of the trial according to the regulation of trials on devices with CE mark/certification.The results will be submitted for presentation at academic meetings and for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, whatever the findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03914820.

The Road to Technical Proficiency in Cytoreductive Surgery for Peritoneal Carcinomatosis: Risk-Adjusted Cumulative Summation Analysis.

Background: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) is a technically demanding procedure, and there is considerable debate about its safe application. This study investigated the learning curve for CRS and the clinical outcomes of consecutive patients treated by a single surgeon at a single institution. Methods: We collected 251 consecutive patients who underwent CRS for peritoneal metastases by a single surgeon at Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, between January 2016 and December 2020. The learning curve was estimated using the cumulative summation analysis (CUSUM) for operative time (OT). Risk-adjusted CUSUM (RA-CUSUM) charts were developed using a composite variable (surgical failure), defined as the occurrence of at least one of the following events: major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥3), blood loss ≥500 mL, incomplete cytoreduction. Three learning phases were thus derived from the RA-CUSUM analysis, and were compared in terms of perioperative outcomes. Results: CUSUM-OT showed that the operation time improved significantly after the 161th case. RA-CUSUM analysis allowed to break the CRS learning curve into three different phases: phase 1, "the learning phase" (cases 1-99), phase 2 "the experienced phase" (cases 100-188), and phase 3, "the mastership phase" (cases 189-251). The rate of major postoperative complications decreased significantly over the three phases (p = 0.019). Operative time decreased significantly as well (p = 0.031) and was significantly shorter in phase 3 with respect to the other two phases (phase 3 vs phase 2: 420 min vs 500 min, p = 0.017; phase 3 vs phase 1: 420 min vs 503 min, p = 0.021). Blood loss consistently decreased throughout the three phases (p = 0.001). The rate of incomplete cytoreduction was significantly lower in phase 3 than in phase 2 (4.8% vs 14.6%, p = 0.043). Conclusion: The CRS failure rate stabilized after the first 99 cases, and the complete surgical proficiency was achieved after 189 cases. A standardised and mentored learning model is a safer strategy to shorten the learning process, to reduce morbidity and mortality, to improve oncologic outcomes.

Body composition and immunonutritional status in patients treated with pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) for gastrointestinal peritoneal metastases: a prospective single-center analysis.

Objectives: Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) is a novel drug administration method with promising efficacy for the treatment of peritoneal metastases (PM). This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of an immunonutritional assessment on the feasibility, safety, and survival in this setting. Methods: Data of PM patients undergoing PIPAC between September 2018 and May 2020 were prospectively recorded. A CT scan-derived body composition assessment was performed for each patient. Results: Fifty-one patients were enrolled, of which 30 (58%) underwent multiple PIPAC cycles, with a pathological response rate of 55%. Prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and neutrophil-to-lymphocytes predicted completion of more than one PIPAC cycle, with a cut off of 36.5 and 4.8 respectively. Muscle attenuation and body fat tissues were associated with pathological response. At multivariate Cox regression analysis, only the presence of a low PNI (HR 2.41, 95% CI 1.08-5.46) was significantly associated with a worse OS. Conclusions: A pretreatment immunonutritional assessment may provide valuable information for PIPAC patients' selection and survival, while body composition parameters are able to predict pathological response. Further larger studies are needed to validate the role of these biomarkers in tailoring the treatment and monitoring PM patients undergoing PIPAC.

Risk Factors for Anastomotic Leakage in Advanced Ovarian Cancer Surgery: A Large Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Cytoreductive surgery is currently the main treatment for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (OC), and several surgical maneuvers, including colorectal resection, are often needed to achieve no residual disease. High surgical complexity carries an inherent risk of postoperative complications, including anastomosis leakage (AL). Albeit rare, AL is a life-threatening condition. The aim of this single-center retrospective study is to assess the AL rate in patients undergoing colorectal resection and anastomosis during primary surgery for advanced epithelial OC through a standardized surgical technique and to evaluate possible pre/intra- and postoperative risk factors to identify the population at greatest risk. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of clinical and surgical characteristics of 515 patients undergoing colorectal resection and anastomosis during primary or interval debulking surgery between December 2011 and October 2019 was performed. Several pre/intra- and postoperative variables were evaluated by multivariate analysis as potential risk factors for AL. RESULTS: The overall anastomotic leakage rate was 2.9% (15/515) with a significant negative impact on postoperative course. Body mass index < 18 kg/m2, preoperative albumin value lower than 30 mg/dL, section of the inferior mesenteric artery at its origin, and medium-low colorectal anastomosis (< 10 cm from the anal verge) were identified as independent risk factors for AL on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: AL is confirmed to be an extremely rare but severe postoperative complication of OC surgery, being responsible for increased early postoperative mortality. Preoperative nutritional status and surgical characteristics, such as blood supply and anastomosis level, appear to be the most significant risk factors.

The prognostic value of skeletal muscle index on clinical and survival outcomes after cytoreduction and HIPEC for peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hypertermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) represent the most effective strategy to manage peritoneal metastases (PM). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of body composition on clinical outcomes in patients with PM. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using Medline, Web of Science and EMBASE databases from inception to the 20st August 2020. Data were independently extracted by 3 authors. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess quality and risk of bias of studies. Pooled analyses were performed using Mantel-Haenszel method to estimate overall effect size with mean differences or odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The primary outcome was postoperative complication (POC) rate, while secondary outcomes were severe POC and postoperative mortality. RESULTS: A total of 4 studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis, including 582 patients. A significant association between low skeletal muscle mass and POC was found (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.03; p = 0.03), while no differences were found in terms operative time, estimated blood loss, length of hospital stay, and postoperative mortality (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Low skeletal muscle mass at diagnosis is a valid prognostic factor for POC development in colorectal and PM patients undergoing CRS. Prospective and larger studies are needed to better investigate the role of CT scan derived body composition and to understand how to implement this tool in clinical practice.

Prognostic Factors for Surgical Failure in Malignant Bowel Obstruction and Peritoneal Carcinomatosis.

Introduction: Patients with peritoneal metastasis frequently develop malignant bowel obstruction (MBO). Medical palliative management is preferred but often fails. Conversely, the role of palliative surgery remains unclear and debated. This study aims to identify patients who could benefit from invasive surgical interventions and factors associated with successful surgical palliation. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 98 consecutive patients who underwent palliative surgery for MBO over 5 years were reviewed. We evaluate as the primary outcome surgical failure to select patients who could benefit from palliative surgery, avoiding unnecessary surgery. A prognostic score was developed based on a logistic regression model to identify patients at risk of surgical failure. The score was evaluated for overall accuracy by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: Palliative surgery was achieved in 76 (77.5%) patients. The variables that were found to be significant factors for surgical failure are recurrent disease (P = 0.015), absence of bowel obstruction (P < 0.001), absence of bowel distension (P < 0.001), and mesenteric involvement (P = 0.001) and retraction (P < 0.001). The absence of bowel distension (P = 0.046) and bowel obstruction (P = 0.012) emerged as independent predictors of surgical failure. Carcinomatosis level assessment for peritoneum score, based on these factors, was built to evaluate the risk of surgical failure. Conclusion: Our proposed scoring system might help select patients most likely to benefit from palliative surgery.

Radiologist Checklist for Selecting Patients to Undergo PIPAC (Pressurized IntraPeritoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy).

Peritoneal carcinomatosis frequently occurs in advanced gastrointestinal and gynecological cancers. As factors such as poor drug uptake and distribution cause chemotherapy to be less effective, alternative therapies have been explored. Introduced in 2013, PIPAC (pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy) uses aerosolized chemotherapeutics sprayed into the patient's peritoneal cavity using a laparoscopic approach. Despite the literature showing encouraging data regarding the tolerability and efficacy of PIPAC, there is a lack of articles on the role that imaging plays in selecting patients suitable for PIPAC. The aim of this study is to combine literature-based evidence and clinical experience to provide information able to support training radiologists, as well as experienced radiologists interested in innovative therapies.

Cytoreduction and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Pseudomyxoma Peritonei of Appendiceal Origin: A Single Center Experience.

Background: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) originating from appendiceal mucinous neoplasm is a rare peritoneal malignancy characterized by the progressive intraperitoneal accumulation of mucus leading to death if left untreated. In recent years, cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) offered increased survival rates. This study aims to identify the clinical, pathological, and surgical features influencing safety and survival outcomes of patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC for PMP of appendiceal origin. Methods: A retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC for PMP of appendiceal origin from January 2015 to May 2019 was conducted at our institution. Results: Study population included 50 patients (74% female, 26% male). The median age at CRS was 60 (38-84). The median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was 17. Complete cytoreductive surgery (CC 0-1) was achieved in 47 patients (94%). HIPEC chemotherapeutic regimen was based on oxaliplatin for 13 (28%) patients and mitomycin for 34 (72%) patients. We experienced a total of 19 (38%) postoperative complications, of which 14 (74%) of grade I-II and 5 (26%) of grade III-IV, according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. The median follow-up period was 27 months (12-107) from the date of cytoreductive surgery. The mean survival rate was 100 months, with a 5-year OS of 91%. The mean progression-free survival rate was 77 months (0-107), with a 5-year PFS of 63%. Multivariate analysis identified adenocarcinoma histotype and incomplete cytoreduction to significantly worsen progression-free survival, while incomplete cytoreduction was the only independent predictor of poorer overall survival. Conclusion: Complete cytoreduction and appendiceal neoplasm histotype play a crucial role in the survival of patients affected by PMP of appendiceal origin. The rates of morbidity associated with CRS and HIPEC for PMP are acceptable.

Clinical and Molecular Features in Patients Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Peritoneal Carcinosis from Colorectal Cancer.

PURPOSE: Careful patient selection plays a crucial role in avoiding overtreatment and further increases survival rates in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for colorectal cancer (CRC) with peritoneal metastases (PM). METHODS: The clinical and molecular factors influencing survival in patients who had undergone CRS with HIPEC between January 2015 and December 2018 were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients underwent CRS with HIPEC during the study period. The median overall survival (OS) was 36 months, with a 3-year OS of 43%. Multivariate analysis revealed increased PCI (HR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.02-1.41; p = 0.020), right-sided primary tumor (HR: 3.01; 95% CI: 1.27-7.13; p = 0.017), and BRAF V600E mutation (HR: 4.55; 95% CI: 1.21-17.21; p = 0.025) as independent predictors for worse OS. CONCLUSION: In addition to confirming the prognostic role of PCI, our study extends the role of BRAF mutation and right primary tumor location as markers for worse prognosis.

Cytoreductive surgery and mitomycin C hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy with CO2 recirculation (HIPEC-CO2) for colorectal cancer peritoneal metastases: analysis of short-term outcomes.

Peritoneal dissemination from colorectal cancer (CRC) has long been associated with unfavorable prognosis. However, in the last decades, the combination of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) was able to obtain up to 30% 5-year survival rate in selected centers. Despite the wide diffusion of CRS and HIPEC, until now, there are no clear recommendations on the drug of choice for HIPEC nor its technique, and safety and efficacy data of HIPEC regimens and techniques are lacking. We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of 26 CRS and mitomycin C HIPEC with CO2 recirculation (HIPEC-CO2) for CRC peritoneal metastasis (PM) performed at our center. The main endpoints were morbidity, mortality, the temperature of perfusate during HIPEC and metabolic changes throughout the procedure. Morbidity was assessed by analysis of postoperative adverse events according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE version 4.0). Continuous variables of Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) analysis at three time-points were compared by the Student t test. There were no postoperative deaths. The overall grade 3-4 CTCAE complications rate at 30 days was 38.4%, with ten severe adverse events occurring to six (23.0%) patients. The temperature within HIPEC perfusion maintained between 41 and 42 °C in all cases and we experienced no HIPEC-related intraoperative complications. We observed a significant difference between all baseline and pre-HIPEC ABG parameters evaluated but no statistically significant differences between pre- and post-HIPEC ABG outcomes. This study shows that mitomycin C HIPEC-CO2 is feasible and has a safety profile comparable to that of other HIPEC techniques reported in the literature. Further research is needed to validate prospectively the safety and efficacy of this technique.