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Ovarian cancer is a disease that is spreading initially in the entire abdominal cavity, because of its anatomical specific character. The tumor can be relatively well treated with chemotherapy. However, after a successfully performed surgical operation (removal of the tumor and metastasis) and a complete cycles of chemotherapy, 70% of the patients are having relapses? Why is this happening?
Reason no. 1: during surgery only visible metastasis are removed from the tumor, but the metastasis that cannot be seen (microscopic masses of tumor cells) stay intact.
Reason no. 2: because of the natural barrier that exist, the medicaments from the chemotherapy do not pass in the abdominal cavity and the tumor cells there grow into metastasis.
If the patients with relapses are treated only with chemotherapy transfusion less than 10 % of them survive more than 5 years.
The main problem is “to bring” chemotherapy to the tumor cells in the abdominal cavity, because compared to other types, the cells of ovarian cancer are extremely manageable with chemotherapy but this cannot happened with simple transfusion.
What happened if a second surgery for removal of the relapses and a transfusion chemotherapy are performed? The result is only 10-15% of patients without new relapse regardless the performed chemotherapy.
What happened if during the second surgery for removal of the metastasis a HIPEC is performed?
In a study results show that at the end of the third year 75% of the patients that are treated with HIPEC are alive, compared with barely 18% if they are treated only with surgery and transfusion chemotherapy. 75% compared to 18%!
What is consolidation with HIPEC? This is when patients with successful chemotherapy do not have visible decease during surgery, performed after a transfusion chemotherapy cycle.
After 8 years 84% of women treated with HIPEC are alive, compared with only 25% alive patients, treated only with standard chemotherapy.
In conclusion: it is obvious from the facts stated above that the result from treatment of ovarian cancer can be significally improved. Our experience shows that this is up to the patients, the decision is in their hands! They should search for a center that can help them this to happen.
It is really important not to lose time, because every delay increase the chance for new relapses in the abdominal cavity.
If a lot of time is wasted the relapses can grow significantly and the expected result is gone, because for a good outcome it is mandatory the tumor masses to be removed and a HIPEC treatment to be performed during surgery. The delay causes hard surgery for the patient and less possibility for a good outcome.
Prevention will save a lot of women, most of them-young!
We perform HIPEC treatment in our clinic since the begging of 2015. After more than 2 years of intensive work in the field, our results prove with no doubt the facts stated above.