Prophylactic HIPEC in pT4 Colon Tumors: Proactive Approach or Overtreatment?

BACKGROUND: The peritoneum is the second most common site for metastasis in patients with colorectal cancer. Various factors have been studied to identify patients at risk of developing peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC), including T4 tumors. The objectives were to assess the incidence of synchronous and metachronous PC, explore potential risk factors for developing PC as the only site of metastasis, and identify which patients might be candidates for prophylactic hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 125 patients with pT4 colon cancer who underwent surgery in a single center between January 2010 and December 2014. RESULTS: Of the 947 colon cancer patients who underwent surgery, 125 (13.2%) were diagnosed with pT4a or b colon carcinoma. The median follow-up was 3.7 years. The overall rate of PC was 34.3%, being synchronous in 12% and metachronous in 22.3% of cases. The 8% and 6% of synchronous and metachronous cases of PC respectively were isolated (single site) metastasis. The incidence of PC was 6.1% at 1 year and 14.5% at 3 years after surgery. pT4 was not found to be an independent risk factor for the development of PC (p = 0.231). Nonetheless, the rate of metachronous PC as a single site of metastasis was higher in patients with pT4 tumors and peritoneal nodules around the primary tumor and/or tumor perforation (p = 0.027) and/or who underwent emergency surgery (p = 0.043) than other patients. CONCLUSIONS: Considering pT4 tumor stage as the only risk factor for the development of PC in deciding whether to administer prophylactic HIPEC would lead to unjustified overtreatment.

The efficacy of porcine dermal collagen to treat complex anal fistulae: results of a multicenter cohort

Introduction: The management of complex anal fistulae remains a topical surgical problem. The choice and success of surgical management are based on the balance between healing and continence. Although porcine dermal collagen (Permacol Collagen Paste [PCP]- Covidien plc, Gosport, Hampshire, UK) represents a new generation of non-solid biomaterials, its results in anal fistulae are mixed. Methods: A multicenter observational retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with cryptoglandular anal fistula treated in four colorectal surgery units was performed between 2015 and 2020. Clinical cure of the fistula was the main outcome measure. Adverse events and alterations in anal continence were secondary outcomes. Results: The study included 119 patients (87 males, 71.1%), with a mean age of 53 years (IR 44-65). Most patients had complex (80.6%) and recurrent (91.6%) fistulae. With the first PCP treatment, the overall cure rate was 41.2% (49 patients) and 45.4% with the second treatment (5 out of 17 patients). The mean follow-up period was 17 months (IR 5-25). Healing was not affected by the location and type of fistula, the existence or not of a cavity, the number of tracts, or the administration of prophylactic antibiotics. After the PCP treatment, no patient in the series had worsening of continence. Morbidity affected 22.7% of the patients (27), with postoperative abscesses being the most frequent adverse event. There were no statistical differences between the four hospitals studied. Conclusions: Permacol collagen paste is a safe and easily reproducible therapy for complicated anal fistulae that has moderate efficacy. The overall success rate is slightly over 40%, with no detriment to fecal continence. (AU)