Peritoneal carcinomatosis in digestive cancers: cytoreductive surgery combined with intraperitoneal chemohyperthermia. The experience in Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire Lyon Sud (CHLS).

Intraperitoneal chemohyperthermia (IPCH) with Cytoreductive surgery (CS) has been used in Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire Lyon Sud (CHLS) since 1989. Up to 2005, 420 patients were involved in different phase II studies for peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) from colorectal, gastric or ovarian origin, as well as for pseudomyxoma peritonei and peritoneal mesothelioma. Encouraging results were achieved in case of optimal PC cytoreduction. The CHLS experience, as well as the Dutch randomized trial and the international registration, underline the advantage of such an aggressive combined therapy for selected patients in experienced multidisciplinary centers.