Regional Perfusion Therapy for Metastases

Pseudomyxoma peritonei or adenomucinosis is cancer that forms in the cells lining the appendix. Appendix cancers are rare, with only one to two cases per million people. Regional perfusion therapy may be an option for this cancer.

Colorectal cancer is cancer that forms in the colon or rectum. It's the fourth most common type of cancer in adults.

Colorectal cancer often spreads to the liver. If it's contained, doctors often treat it with regional perfusion.

Mesothelioma is cancer that forms in the peritoneum, the thin tissue that lines the abdominal cavity. It can also affect the lining of the chest wall and lungs.

The peritoneum has a large surface area with many folds, which makes it easy for cancer cells to settle and spread.

Asbestos exposure causes up to eight in 10 cases of mesothelioma.

This type of cancer can be hard to treat. It often doesn't respond to classic chemo. Since it's usually confined to the abdominal cavity or pleural cavity, it may be a candidate for regional perfusion therapy.

Peritoneal sarcomatosis refers to cancer of bone, cartilage, or soft tissues (like muscle or connective tissue) that may have spread to the abdominal cavity.

Your pleural cavity is the fluid-filled space between your lungs and chest. It's sometimes the primary site of a cancer tumor. More commonly, cancers in the pleural cavity start in the lungs or another part of your body.

Pleural cavity tumors are usually cancerous and regional perfusion may be a treatment option.

These are tumors that begin in the ovaries or peritoneal lining. Peritoneal serous adenocarcinoma is uncommon. In fact, it's more rare than ovarian cancer. If the tumors have spread but remain in the peritoneum, regional perfusion may be a treatment option.

HIPEC treats cancers that have spread to your stomach or peritoneum, like mesothelioma. It uses a combination of cytoreductive surgery and heated chemo medicine to treat metastatic cancer in the abdominal cavity.

Before HIPEC, surgeons remove as much of the tumor as possible. Depending on the extent of your metastases, they may also perform a peritonectomy. This surgery removes the tissue that lines the abdominal cavity.

After your surgery, the doctors insert two tubes into your stomach. One tube brings warmed chemo medicine to the tumor, while the other removes the liquid and reheats it. This medicine circulates for about 90 to 100 minutes to kill the cancer cells.

Finally, your surgeon will close your incisions and send you to the recovery room. You'll stay in the hospital for 10 to 14 days.

HITHOC treats metastases in your chest cavity, such as pleural tumors.

This treatment is very similar to HIPEC. The difference is that the medication circulates throughout your chest cavity, rather than your abdominal cavity.

Recovery time in the hospital is usually at least a week.

IHP treats metastatic cancers that have spread to the liver.

During this treatment, a surgeon opens your abdomen and exposes your liver. Next, they separate the incoming and outgoing blood supply to the liver from the rest of your circulatory system.

The surgeon then delivers a very strong chemo solution to the site. This medicine circulates through your liver for about an hour to kill the cancer cells. Because it's contained to your liver, healthy tissue throughout your body is unharmed.

Recovery from this surgery requires at least a 10-day stay in the hospital.