Worldwide, the number of people with cancer is increasing annually. Fortunately, foreign medicine does not standstill. All scientists in the world are searching for the most effective methods of cancer treatment.
Recently, a method of HIPEC (hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy) was discovered, which allowed treating cancer with the highest efficiency and minimal harm to the patient’s health. Only the best hospitals in the world successfully perform HIPEC cancer therapy. This procedure is most popular in such countries as Turkey, Germany, and Korea. Thousands of such operations are successfully performed each year, and the method itself continues to be studied and improved.
What is HIPEC?
Intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is the most innovative way to treat abdominal cancer, which is effective even at the advanced stages. It is also known as HIPEC or “heated chemotherapy”. To date, it is the only treatment that can prolong life for patients, when other methods remain ineffective.
This method has been used in oncology for not that long. Nevertheless, statistics demonstrate that it has become a real breakthrough in the treatment of oncological diseases, even at the stage of metastasizing.
Usually, the operation takes about 8 hours. It is performed by experienced surgeons, and, if necessary, they are also assisted by oncologists. “Hot chemotherapy” requires long and thorough preparation, extensive experience, and well-coordinated work of a team of medical specialists.
HIPEC benefits
Despite the complexity of this procedure, today it remains one of the most effective ways to give a few happy years of life to patients with inoperable gastrointestinal tumors. This method allows giving patients hope for successful treatment.
HIPEC is able to destroy a tumor completely but is not able to protect against its recurrence fully. The risk that cancer cells remain in the body is always present.
The effectiveness of the treatment also depends on how severely the body was affected by the tumor, the general health state, age, the presence of the concomitant diseases. The earlier a tumor is detected, the better the chances of its successful treatment. All modern medical centers around the world use HIPEC in cancer therapy.
What is the secret of HIPEC success?
The use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy is so effective due to the fact that this procedure combines many benefits of using high temperatures:
- High temperatures help the drug penetrate into all tissues better.
- Heat increases the effect of drugs on tumor cells.
- Since the drug is distributed manually during the procedure, the heat facilitates even distribution of the drug on all surfaces inside the abdominal cavity.
- During HIPEC it is possible to minimize the side effects of chemotherapy.
- Many physiological parameters of the patient (body temperature, blood coagulation, hemodynamics, etc.) can be brought back to normal with HIPEC.
Differences from the conventional chemotherapy
The main difference of HIPEC is that the chemical is injected into the abdominal cavity once. The dose is much higher than in traditional chemotherapy. HIPEC has a direct effect on cancer cells and does not enter the systemic bloodstream.
In addition, the side effects after this procedure are mild or even absent. Warm drugs penetrate the tumor faster and deeper and successfully destroy cancer cells that the surgeon could not remove during the operation.
Contraindications and complications of HIPEC
As this procedure is quite serious, it has several contraindications. Before surgery, you should consult your doctor.
Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is contraindicated if there is an adhesion process in the abdomen and serious cardiovascular diseases. Also, the procedure can not be performed in inflammatory processes in this area and after major surgical interventions.
Usually, HIPEC has no severe side effects. The level of intoxication depends on the general health state of the patient. The most frequent complications that occur after the procedure are vomiting, nausea, weakness, and pain in the abdominal area.
How to receive treatment abroad?
If you want to undergo the HIPEC procedure, the best choice for you will be foreign clinics. The best hospitals in the world are located in such countries as Turkey, Germany, Israel. Medicine in these countries has the largest medical resources, so you can get the best treatment and professional care. To get more information about treatment abroad, just visit the website of the medical tourism operator Booking Health.