Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) treats certain advanced cancers of the abdomen, including peritoneal cancer. It delivers a high concentration of heated cancer-fighting drugs directly to the cancerous area.

Sometimes called hot chemotherapy or heated chemotherapy, HIPEC minimizes exposure to the rest of the body, reduces side effects of chemotherapy and improves curative efforts.

Our team at Goshen Center for Cancer Care is the only one in the region who has the experience and training to perform this innovative surgical treatment. If you have been diagnosed with advanced peritoneal cancer, HIPEC may be a treatment option.

See if HIPEC is the best care for you.

Why we may recommend heated chemotherapy

There are several advantages to HIPEC:

• Heating the chemotherapy increases its ability to kill cancer cells.
• Instilling chemotherapy in the abdominal space puts it in direct contact with the cancer cells. It also allows our doctors to use higher doses than traditional chemotherapy. Direct contact and high doses help kill more cancer cells.
• Most of the chemotherapy stays in the abdominal space, decreasing side effects in the rest of the body.
• It’s a single treatment.

Our experts may recommend HIPEC if your advanced peritoneal cancer hasn’t responded to other treatments. It’s also a potential treatment for other advanced cancers in the abdomen, including colorectal cancer, appendix cancer, soft tissue sarcomas, Wilms tumor and some gynecological cancers.

What to expect from a HIPEC surgery and recovery

The first step to your HIPEC procedure is surgery to remove visible tumors. Your surgeon then heats the chemotherapy solution and applies it into the open abdominal space. The chemotherapy circulates for up to two hours through the abdomen with a pump. When the treatment is complete, we pump out the chemotherapy and close the incision.

As you recover, you will have an IV or feeding tube. This allows your digestive system to rest and heal for about two weeks. You may also need to have traditional chemotherapy through an IV to help delay a recurrence.

Along with our leading-edge treatment options, we use integrative therapies to care for your complete well-being. Maintaining your highest possible quality of life is our goal.