Hyperthermo-chemotherapy combined with cytoreductive surgery for the treatment of gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination

Continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion (CHPP) with a solution that contains mitomycin C (CHPP-M) has been clinically introduced as a prophylactic treatment for peritoneal recurrence of gastric cancer with serosal invasion. Two studies, each with a treated and a control group, were performed. In the historical control study the postoperative 3-year survival rate of patients (73.7%) in the treated group (n = 38) was significantly higher than the survival rate (52.7%) of those in the control group (n = 55) (P less than 0.04). In the random control study the survival rate (83%) of patients in the treated group (n = 26) was also higher than that (67.3%) of those in the control group (n = 21) in the 30 months that followed gastric surgery. However, there was no significant difference. In the historical control study with respect to the postoperative complications, anastomotic leak was observed in 8.5% of patients who were given CHPP-M and 12.8% patients who did not have CHPP-M. In the random control study anastomotic leak was observed in 3.1% of patients who had CHPP-M and 7.1% of patients who did not have CHPP-M. The incidence of adhesive ileus in patients having CHPP-M did not increase in historical or random control groups. Postoperative prolonged intestinal paresis or chemical peritonitis were not induced by CHPP-M. These results indicate that CHPP-M is a simple, safe, and readily available prophylactic therapy for peritoneal recurrence that may follow gastric cancer surgery.