Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy plus high-frequency diathermic therapy followed by intravenous chemotherapy versus intravenous chemotherapy alone for postoperative adjuvant treatment of gastrointestinal cancer: a comparative research study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) plus high-frequency diathermic therapy (HFDT) followed by intravenous chemotherapy vs intravenous chemotherapy alone for adjuvant treatment of postoperative gastrointestinal neoplasms.

METHODS: Fifty-two gastrointestinal carcinoma patients who were radically operated were enrolled and divided into the treatment group and the control group. In the treatment group, 25 patients were treated with combination of HIPEC+HFDT and subsequent intravenous chemotherapy, while in the control group 27 patients received intravenous chemotherapy alone. Post-therapeutic complications and adverse reactions, time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) were compared between these two groups.

RESULTS: Difference in toxic reactions between the two groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Postoperative progression- free survival (PFS) rate at 12 and 40 months after radical surgery was 72.0 and 54.0% respectively in the treatment group, and 65.8 and 11.5% respectively in the control group (p=0.108). TTP was statistically significantly longer in the treatment group than in the control group (median TTP 40.1 vs 18.5 months, p=0.027). Postoperative OS at 12 and 20 months after radical surgery was 88.0 and 78.0% respectively in the treatment group and 92.6 and 72.7% in the control group, without significant difference.

CONCLUSION: After radical surgery, combination of HIPEC+HFDT and subsequent intravenous chemotherapy brings about superior PFS compared with intravenous adjuvant chemotherapy alone, while having no more complications and adverse reactions.