Peritonectomy and intraperitoneal chemotherapy in appendiceal and colorectal cancer

K. W. Horsell, S. Merten, P. Clingan, D. W. King, D. L. Morris*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Peritoneal spread of gastrointestinal malignancies has been regarded as an incurable disease, and treatment has been aimed at short-term palliation. The use of cytoreductive surgery, including peritonectomy procedures and intraperitoneal chemotherapy, has been proposed with the intention of prolonging survival, and perhaps curing patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis from appendiceal and possibly colon cancers. A series of eight patients who have undergone this procedure at St George Hospital is presented, and the results obtained by other groups are reviewed. Method: Eight patients fitted the criteria for peritoneal carcinomatosis between January 1996 and November 1998. In seven patients this was secondary to appendiceal or colon cancer, and one patient had signet ring cancer of the uterus. The surgical treatment involved removing all macroscopic evidence of disease, and this was followed by early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Results: The eight patients (seven female, one male) ranged in age from 25 to 67 years. There were seven complications, including two patients with pelvic abscesses, and one patient who developed Tenchkoff catheter occlusion. There were three deaths, one due to pelvic sepsis after 30 days, and the other two were due to metastatic disease. Of the remaining five patients, two have developed recurrence and three remain disease-free. Conclusion: The results of peritonectomy and intraperitoneal chemotherapy for appendiceal tumours are encouraging. The role in colorectal cancer is less clear, although there are some reports that suggest a benefit.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)729-732
Number of pages4
JournalAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery
Volume69
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1999
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Colorectal cancer
  • Peritoneal cancer
  • Peritoneal chemotherapy

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