Regional chemotherapy (with mitomycin C) and intra-operative hyperthermia for digestive cancers with peritoneal carcinomatosis

Intraperitoneal chemo-hyperthermia with mitomycin C was used to treat 28 patients with far advanced digestive adenocarcinoma and histologically confirmed peritoneal carcinomatosis. Surgical resection of the primary tumor was possible in 17 cases. After closure of the abdominal wall, intraperitoneal chemo-hyperthermia was performed for 90 to 120 minutes under general anesthesia and 32 degrees C hypothermia, through 3 intraperitoneal drains forming a closed circuit, using 10 mg/l of mitomycin C in 6 liters of peritoneal dialysate heated to an inflow temperature of 46-49 degrees C. No mortality occurred, and there were 2 post-operative complications, with transitory biological side effects. In 9 out of 10 patients with preoperative malignant ascites, the ascites cleared after treatment. One-year survival rate was 54.2%. These encouraging preliminary results show that intraperitoneal chemohyperthermia with mitomycin C is a safe and reliable treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis in far advanced digestive cancers.