Cancer is Hard
but you have options to fight the fight
It’s natural to feel scared or afraid when facing a cancer diagnosis. But when caught early, many types of cancer are highly treatable. We are here to support you in understanding your treatment options, including the lifesaving CRS/HIPEC procedure (cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy).
The most effective treatment options will vary for each type of cancer. See your options based on your diagnosis.
The Leading Treatment for Cancers of the Abdomen: CRS/HIPEC
I was told that I needed to get my things in order because I only had 6 months to live. That was 7 years ago. CRS/HIPEC changed my life forever.
Gary Young, survivor
CRS/HIPEC is used to treat advanced cancers that have spread throughout the abdominal cavity. It is considered the best option for treating many types of gastrointestinal and gynecological cancers to give patients the best chance at survival.
Surgery
Complete removal of all visible tumor is considered an important step in treating many types of cancers of the abdomen and in many cases it represents a patient’s best chance at survival. The extent of surgical treatment for cancer varies significantly depending on the diagnosis, how aggressive the cancer is, and whether it has metastasized. Surgical treatment requires the removal of cancerous tumors and may include removal of blood vessels, lymph nodes, and resection of organs. There are numerous names for the various kinds of surgeries that may be performed, including:
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appendectomy, removal of the appendix
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cecectomy, removal of the cecum
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hemicolectomy or colectomy, removal of part or all of the colon
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cytoreductive surgery or debulking procedure (with or without HIPEC)
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hysterectomy, removal of the uterus
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ileectomy, removal of part or all of the small intestine
Cytoreductive Surgery & HIPEC
Cytoreductive surgery is the aggressive removal or destruction of all or most of the visible tumors in the abdomen. HIPEC refers to heated chemotherapy being circulated into the abdomen for 90 minutes to destroy non-visible or microscopic tumor cells which follows Cytoreductive Surgery.
Chemotherapy (systemic or “IV” chemo)
Cancers that have spread throughout the abdomen generally have poor response to systemic chemotherapy. If chemotherapy is recommended, it is often in combination with surgery. In some cases, systemic chemotherapy may also be given before an operation to help shrink tumors and make them more amenable to surgical removal.
Radiation
Radiation therapy is used sparingly in the treatment of abdominal cancers that have spread throughout the abdomen. Because radiation would hit vital organs throughout the abdominal cavity, this treatment option is not considered to be as effective and can be more harmful to the patient than to the cancer. However, for certain types of cancer radiation can be used in tandem with systemic chemotherapy or as a complement to surgery, such as to control and shrink tumors or metastases prior to surgical treatment.
Clinical Trials
Depending on the type of cancer there are a wide variety of clinical trials that may be considered. However, for more rare diagnoses the options for clinical trials are limited due to challenges with participant recruitment and funding. Your oncologists can help you review clinical trial options and recommendations.
A list of clinical trials and their current recruitment status are registered on www.ClinicalTrials.gov.
