[Surgical treatment of peritoneal metastases from gynecological primary tumors].

BACKGROUND: The principle of surgical treatment of peritoneal metastases of ovarian cancer in the primary as well as in the recurrent disease setting includes macroscopic complete cytoreductive surgery. The addition of intraperitoneal chemotherapy after cytoreduction is currently not part of the standard treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Data on intraperitoneal chemotherapy for treatment of peritoneal metastases of ovarian cancer are presented focusing on overall and progression-free survival and on morbidity and mortality rates.

METHOD: PubMed search including the following terms: ovarian cancer, peritoneal metastases, cytoreduction and HIPEC.

RESULTS: Randomized-controlled and non-randomized controlled trials showed that intraperitoneal chemotherapy after maximum cytoreductive surgery results in a survival benefit regarding overall and progression-free survival for primary as well as recurrent disease. Addition of HIPEC does not impact on the initiation of postoperative systemic chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION: Macroscopic complete cytoreduction is the most important prognostic factor. The addition of intraperitoneal chemotherapy for the treatment of peritoneal metastases of ovarian cancer showed promising results but so far it is not accepted as a part of a multimodal treatment concept.