The Current Status of Peritoneal Surface Oncology in India

Long-Term Survival in Patients Treated by Cytoreductive Surgery with or Without HIPEC for Peritoneal Surface Malignancies-A report from the Indian HIPEC Registry

A previous report from the Indian HIPEC registry showed acceptable early survival and morbidity in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) + / - hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The goal of this retrospective study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes in these patients. Three hundred seventy-four patients treated from December 2010 to December 2016 and enrolled in the Indian HIPEC registry were included. All patients had completed 5 years from the date of surgery. The 1-, 3-, 5- and 7-year progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and factors affecting these were evaluated. The histology was epithelial ovarian cancer in 209 (46.5%), pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) in 65 (17.3%) and colorectal cancer in 46 (12.9%) patients. The peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was ≥ 15 in 160 (42.8%). A completeness of cytoreduction (CC) score of 0/1 resection was obtained in 83% (CC-0-65%; CC-1-18%). HIPEC was performed in 59.2%. At a median, follow-up of 77 months (6-120 months), 243 (64.9%) patients developed recurrence, and 236 (63%) died of any cause; 138 (36.9%) were lost to follow-up. The median OS was 56 months (95% CI 53.42-61.07), and the median PFS was 28 months (95% CI 37.5-44.4). The 1-, 3-, 5- and 7-year OS was 97.6%, 63%, 37.7% and 24% respectively. The 1-, 3-, 5- and 7-year PFS was 84.8%, 36.5%, 27.3% and 22% respectively. The use of HIPEC (p = 0.03) and PMP of appendiceal origin (p = 0.01) was independent predictors of a longer OS. CRS + / - /HIPEC may achieve long-term survival in patients with PM from different primary sites in the Indian scenario. More prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and identify factors influencing long-term survival.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13193-023-01727-7.

Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME): an Overview and Relevance to the Education of Future Surgical Oncologists

In the next two decades, the global cancer burden is expected to rise by 47%, and the demand for global cancer surgery will increase by 52%. At present, only 25% of the estimated 80% of patients needing surgical intervention have access to timely surgical care. The shortage of a trained workforce of surgical oncologists is one of the main barriers to providing the optimal surgical intervention needed for cancer patients. Some of the contributing factors to the shortage of trained surgical oncologists are variations in the current global educational platforms, long training programs, and physician burnout. Therefore, the availability of a credible training framework and a sustainable certification pipeline for future surgical oncologists is critical to meet the global demand for an adequate healthcare workforce. The current surgical oncology educational program is a time-based construct that trains surgeons to function seamlessly in the multidisciplinary care of cancer patients. However, there is a lack of flexibility in the training framework and timeline despite differences in trainees' abilities. Developing a globally acceptable standard curriculum for surgical oncology training based on the competency-based medical education (CBME) framework and tailoring it to local needs can increase the surgical oncology workforce ready to tackle the rising cancer burden. However, successful implementation of the global CBME-based surgical oncology training curriculum requires an innovative approach to ensure that this framework produces a competent surgical oncologist that meets the local needs.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC): a cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVES

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols have been questioned in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with/without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for peritoneal malignancies. This survey was performed to study clinicians' practice about ERAS in patients undergoing CRS-HIPEC.

METHODS

An online survey, comprising 76 questions on elements of prehabilitation (n=11), preoperative (n=8), intraoperative (n=16) and postoperative (n=32) management, was conducted. The respondents included surgeons, anesthesiologists, and critical care specialists.

RESULTS

The response rate was 66% (136/206 clinicians contacted). Ninety-one percent of respondents reported implementing ERAS practices. There was encouraging adherence to implement the prehabilitation (76-95%), preoperative (50-94%), and intraoperative (55-90%) ERAS practices. Mechanical bowel preparation was being used by 84.5%. Intra-abdominal drains usage was 94.7%, intercostal drains by 77.9% respondents. Nasogastric drainage was used by 84% of practitioners. The average hospital stay was 10 days as reported by 50% of respondents. A working protocol and ERAS checklist have been designed, based on the results of our study, following recent ERAS-CRS-HIPEC guidelines. This protocol will be prospectively validated.

CONCLUSIONS

Most respondents were implementing ERAS practices for patients undergoing CRS-HIPEC, though as an extrapolation of colorectal and gynecological guidelines. The adoption of postoperative practices was relatively low compared to other perioperative practices.