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Abstract

Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) of colorectal cancer (CRC) origin carries a dismal prognosis, as evidenced by a 5-year survival of less than 15% in patients treated with systemic chemotherapy alone. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), introduced in the 1990s, is revealing promising results. CRS/ HIPEC has conferred a median survival of 49 months and a 5-year survival of up to 40% in patients with completely resectable PC. However, partly due to the paucity of evidence-based studies and the associated high morbidity and mortality rates, this treatment modality is still considered controversial. This review provides a summary of the literature with regards to the efficacy, morbidity and mortality associated with CRS/ HIPEC for CRC PC. A section is included on the Canadian development of this treatment modality.

Key words

colorectal cancer, peritoneal carcinomatosis, cytoreductive surgery, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

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