Chennai :

In an attempt to reduce the risk of death and increase the life expectancy of a patient with abdominal cancer, MIOT Hospitals in Chennai has collaborated with its UK counterparts to launch a new treatment technique called the hyperthermic intraoperative peritoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) as part of its Indo-British Health Initiative.

HIPEC is done immediately after a surgeon performs a cytoreductive surgery in which, using standard surgical methods, he will dissect all visible tumors that can be removed throughout the peritoneal cavity.

Then the abdominal lining is removed, and the surgeon will continuously circulate a heated sterile solution containing a chemotherapeutic agent directly into the abdominal cavity for an hour to 90 minutes.

Dr C R Selvasekar, consultant colorectal surgeon at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust Hospital in Manchester, where more than 400 patients have benefited from HIPEC, said, “The term ‘hyperthermic chemotherapy’ means that the solution containing chemotherapy is heated to a temperature greater than normal body temperature. The idea is to destroy any microscopic cancer cells that may remain post surgery. Heating the drug improves the effectiveness several folds.”

Despite numerous recent advances in chemotherapy, the overall chance of chemotherapy being curative is still low, and the side effects are difficult for the patient to endure.

“However, when the cancers are confined to the peritoneal cavity, HIPEC boosts their life expectancy from three weeks to a year or more,” said Dr Prithvi Mohandoss, joint managing director of MIOT Hospitals.

The procedure also improves drug absorption and effect with minimal exposure to the rest of the body. In this way, the normal side effects of chemotherapy can be avoided.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by Janani Sampath, TNN / November 21st, 2014