Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC)

HIPEC is a two-step procedure to treat cancer that has spread inside the abdominal (peritoneal) cavity. In the first step, the surgeon removes all visible signs of cancer. In the second step, a heated, concentrated chemotherapy solution is used to bathe the inside of the abdomen to eliminate residual cancer cells.

First, after you are under anesthesia, your surgeon makes an incision in your abdomen so they can see the tumors and diseased tissue. After removing the visible tumors and diseased tissue, your doctor will insert a catheter into your abdomen to pump in the chemotherapy solution. The catheter is connected to a perfusion machine that heats the medications to 108 degrees and flows them through your abdomen.

After 90 minutes, your surgeon will drain the chemotherapy solution from your abdomen and rinse it out with a salt solution. Your surgeon will then make any bowel connections or repairs, before closing your abdomen. The procedure can take from 6 to more than 12 hours, depending on how much the cancer has spread in your abdomen.

The HIPEC procedure may be used to treat any one of the following:

• Appendix cancer
• Colon and rectal cancer
• Gastric (stomach) cancer in certain limited circumstances
• Ovarian cancer
• Abdominal mesothelioma
• Primary peritoneal cancer

Your Winship care team will help you determine whether HIPEC will be helpful for you. It depends on where your cancer originated and how much the cancer has spread. For patients with early stage cancers, HIPEC can sometimes be performed through minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery which uses smaller incisions.

Unlike traditional chemotherapy methods, HIPEC infuses high doses of chemotherapy directly into your abdomen to maximize its effectiveness. The procedure has fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy because the chemotherapy drugs don't circulate throughout your entire body. The drugs' high temperature causes blood vessels to expand, allowing the medicine to penetrate more deeply. HIPEC also is more effective at killing cancer cells in the abdomen and can offer better long-term outcomes. It adds a valuable treatment option for some patients whose cancer has been diagnosed as advanced or inoperable.

At Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Georgia's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, our team of skilled surgical oncologists perform more HIPEC procedures than anyone else in Georgia.

Winship offers HIPEC at several of our locations in the metro Atlanta area, each one providing the same level of eminent care, skill and support:

• Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown
• Winship at Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital
• Emory University Hospital