[Study of the toxicity and results of intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy in 28 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis].

Based on a few previous studies, intra-peritoneal hyperthermic perfusion (IPHP) with Mitomycin C could become a beneficial treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis. Twenty eight patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis arising from intra-abdominal cancers were treated by IPHP, Mitomycin C, diluted in 3 liters of saline solution warmed to a mean temperature of 45 degrees C, was injected into the abdominal cavity for one hour. Median survival for the whole series (postoperative mortality included) was 260 days. For patients with incomplete resection, median survival was 104 days. For patients with complete resection of carcinomatous nodules larger than 3 mm (19 patients), it was 450 days. In this group, actuarial survival was 56% at 1 year and 42% at 2 years. Only 5 (18%) of the 28 patients developed ascitic effusion during follow-up. These results confirm the efficacity of IPHP on ascitic effusion and on survival rate in patients with nearly complete resection of peritoneal carcinomatosis.