Outcomes of cytoreduction with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy: our experience at a midwest community hospital

Survival Outcomes for Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma at Academic Versus Community Hospitals

BACKGROUND

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare disease with poor outcomes. Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is the cornerstone of therapy. We aim to compare outcomes of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma treated at academic versus community hospitals.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study using the National Cancer Database to identify patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma from 2004 to 2016. Patients were divided according to treating facility type: academic or community. Outcomes were assessed using log-rank tests, Cox proportional-hazard modeling, and Kaplan-Meier survival statistics.

RESULTS

In total, 2682 patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma were identified. A total of 1272 (47.4%) were treated at an academic facility and 1410 (52.6%) were treated at a community facility. Five hundred forty-six (42.9%) of patients at academic facilities underwent debulking or radical surgery compared to 286 (20.2%) at community facilities. Three hundred sixty-six (28.8%) of patients at academic facilities received chemotherapy on the same day as surgery compared to 147 (10.4%) of patients at community facilities. Unadjusted 5-year survival was 29.7% (95% CI 26.7-32.7) for academic centers compared to 18.3% (95% CI 16.0-20.7) for community centers. In multivariable analysis, community facility was an independent predictor of increased risk of death (HR: 1.19, 95% CI 1.08-1.32, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate better survival outcomes for malignant peritoneal mesothelioma treated at academic compared to community facilities. Patients at academic centers underwent surgery and received chemotherapy on the same day as surgery more frequently than those at community centers, suggesting that malignant peritoneal mesothelioma patients may be better served at experienced academic centers.

Surgical and oncological outcomes after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy at a nonacademic center: 25-year experience

BACKGROUND

Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is predominantly performed and studied in academic centers. While developing CRS/HIPEC programs in nonacademic hospitals can increase accessibility, its safety and oncological efficacy remains unclear. We evaluated CRS/HIPEC outcomes in a nonacademic setting.

METHODS

A single-center descriptive study was conducted using a prospective database. Data of all CRS/HIPEC attempts in peritoneal surface malignancies (PSM) patients from October 1994 to November 2019 were extracted. Surgical and survival outcomes were measured. Center experience was assessed by quartiles of cases.

RESULTS

Overall, 856 patients underwent 948 CRS/HIPEC attempts: 788 (83%) completed CRS/HIPECs, 144 (15%) aborted HIPECs, and 16 (2%) complete cytoreductions (CC-0/1) without chemoperfusion. For completed CRS/HIPECs, median peritoneal cancer index was 24 (interquartile range: 10-33) and CC-0/1 rate was 88%. Major complications occurred in 23.5% with 30- and 100-day mortality of 1.0% and 2.3%, respectively. Median overall survival was 68 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 50-86). Median progression-free survival was 37 months (95%CI: 28-46). Incomplete cytoreduction and major complication rates decreased over time, while mortality remained low and constant.

CONCLUSIONS

CRS/HIPEC at a nonacademic center with advanced surgical and auxiliary services is a safe option to treat PSM with favorable surgical and oncological outcomes.

The Prognostic Impact of Pathology on Patients With Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Undergoing Debulking Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Retrospective Studies

Background: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare clinical condition with fatal outcomes, which is characterized by the progressive accumulation of mucinous ascites and peritoneal implants. Some studies have reported the effect of PMP biology on patient outcome. The objective of this study was to analyze published articles focusing on the impact of pathology on the prognosis of PMP patients undergoing debulking.

Methods: Data from all studies regarding the prognosis of patients, with different pathologies, who underwent debulking surgery were analyzed. We searched PubMed, the Wiley Online Library, Ovid, and the Cochrane Library (through January 2020). Studies were confined to those articles written in English. Five studies were identified, and the differences in 5-year survival rates were analyzed according to the Kaplan–Meier survival curves. The hazard ratios (HRs) of the 5-year survival rates were calculated.

Results: The mean and median 5-year survival rates of all patients were 39 and 40%, respectively. The median overall survival was 49.3 months. The mean 5-year survival rates of low-grade PMP was 45.2%. The five studies had sufficient data to calculate HRs from the 5-year survival rates data, and three had HRs lower than 1. The total HRs was 0.54, with a 95% CI between 0.33 and 0.89 (P = 0.01).

Conclusions: Among PMP patients receiving debulking surgery who are not able to undergo complete cytoreductive surgery, low-grade biological PMP had a better prognosis than high-grade PMP.

Advances in malignant peritoneal mesothelioma

BACKGROUND

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare, insidious, and aggressive tumor arising from the mesothelial surface of pleural and peritoneal cavities, the pericardium, or the tunica vaginalis, with an increasing incidence worldwide, high misdiagnosis rate, and overall negative prognosis. A total of 20% of all cases is peritoneum in origin.

METHODS

The present study is a review of literatures focusing on the advances in epidemiology, clinical presentations, radiological features, diagnosis, misdiagnosis, management, and prognostic factors of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) occurred in the past decades.

RESULTS

Asbestos, SV40, and radiation exposures have been demonstrated to be correlated with the pathogenesis of MPM. The main presentations are abdominal distension and pain. Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron-emission tomography (PET) play an important role in the preoperative imaging and staging. Definitive diagnosis is made on the basis of immunohistochemistry. Prognostic factors have been identified and verified. Negative indicators include advanced age, male gender, poor performance status, non-epithelial histology, and absence of surgery. The management of MPM has evolved from single chemotherapy to multimodality treatment of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Promising results have been achieved after a combined treatment of CRS and HIPEC, with an elevated median survival time of 29.5-92 months and a 5-year survival rate of 39-63%.

CONCLUSIONS

CRS and HIPEC represent the standard treatment strategy for selected patients with MPM, and patients with unresectable tumors can benefit from the combined treatment of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy.

Survival benefit of traditional chinese herbal medicine (a herbal formula for invigorating spleen) in gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis

Objective. We evaluated the efficiency of traditional Chinese herbal medicine (a compound herbal formula for invigorating spleen) as a complementary and alternative therapy for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis. Methods. Between 2001 and 2012, 93 gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis were enrolled in this study. The effect of traditional Chinese herbal medicine on their long-term outcome was investigated. Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess the difference in survival time, and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to identify independent prognostic factors. Result. First-line palliative chemotherapy plus traditional Chinese herbal medicine was performed in 47 patients and the other 46 patients received chemotherapy alone. The overall survival was different between patients with and without traditional Chinese herbal medicine (12.0 versus 10.5 months; P = 0.046). According to the Cox proportional hazard model, first-line chemotherapy cycle (hazards ratio [HR] = 0.527; 95% CI = 0.323~0.860) and TCHM (hazards ratio [HR] = 0.644; 95% CI = 0.481~0.992) were selected as independent prognostic factors for survival. Conclusion. The results suggest that traditional Chinese herbal medicine could improve the prognosis of the gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis.