When cancer spreads within the abdomen, it becomes much harder to treat. For people living with locally advanced colorectal cancer, doctors are looking for ways to stop the disease from spreading to the lining of the abdominal cavity. A large review of data involving over 2,000 patients looked at a specific treatment called prophylactic HIPEC.
This treatment involves using heated chemotherapy directly in the abdomen. The study found that patients who received this method had better survival rates without the cancer spreading to the abdomen at the one, three, and five-year marks. It also showed better disease-free survival over five years compared to the group that did not receive it.
While the results for spreading and staying cancer-free were positive, the study did not find a significant difference in overall survival or the rate of surgical complications. Because these findings come from a meta-analysis, experts suggest looking at future high-quality trials to confirm these results before making major changes to standard care.
