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Study examines impact of HIPEC on quality of life for ovarian cancer patients

Pancreatic cancer that has spread to the abdominal lining is typically treated with palliative chemotherapy, and outcomes remain poor. A new study examined whether a more aggressive strategy—surgery to remove visible tumors followed by heated chemotherapy delivered directly into the abdomen (HIPEC)—could improve survival in carefully selected patients. The findings offer insight into a potential new approach for managing advanced disease.

In a room filled with warmth, courage, and an unmistakable sense of community, we gathered for our very first Living Proof event. Connected by our shared experiences with abdominal cancers, it was a celebration of shared challenges, resilience, and the power of human connection through storytelling and song. It was an experience that left us energized, inspired, and deeply moved.

Darling A, Harlev C, O’Cearbhaill R . Use of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in the treatment of ovarian cancer: A multidisciplinary review. Surgical Oncology Insight, 2026; 3 What is this study about? This article looks at a treatment called HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy). HIPEC is given during surgery for cancers that have spread inside the abdomen (like ovarian cancer). Doctors circulate warm chemotherapy directly in the belly to kill cancer

Personalized chemotherapy tests a patient’s tumor against different drugs to identify which treatment may work best. For abdominal cancers, this approach could help doctors select more effective therapies, avoid unnecessary side effects, and potentially improve treatments such as HIPEC. Although it is still being studied and is not widely available, personalized chemotherapy represents a promising shift toward more precise, individualized cancer care.

Falla-Zuniga LF, Sardi A, King MC, Lopez-Ramirez F, Kovalik V, Iugai S, Diaz-Montes T, Gushchin V. Small bowel obstruction and ovarian cancer: insights from a propensity-score matched study in patients with and without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy after cytoreductive surgery. World J Surg Oncol. 2025 Aug 26;23(1):318. doi: 10.1186/s12957-025-03968-y. PMID: 40859247; PMCID: PMC12382003. What was this study about? People with advanced ovarian cancer sometimes devel

Ha, E., Suzuki, Y., Sarkaria, I.S. et al. Outcome Analysis of Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intrathoracic Chemoperfusion (HITHOC) for Pseudomyxoma Peritonei with Pleural Metastasis. Ann Surg Oncol 33, 3084–3090 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-025-18880-8 What is this study about? This study looked at a rare but challenging situation: when a condition called pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP)—a cancer that usually starts in the abdomen—spreads to the chest (pleura).

A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming—not just physically, but emotionally and practically. For patients and caregivers alike, one of the most important factors in navigating this journey is having a strong, reliable support system. At the Abdominal Cancers Alliance, we understand that support looks different for everyone. It can come from family and friends, peer communities, healthcare teams, or even small acts of help that make daily life a little easier. But knowing how

Kovalik V, Sardi A, Falla-Zuniga LF, Wasti A, King MC, Iugai S, Uzhegova K, Nieroda C, Montes TD, Gushchin V. Patient-Reported Financial Toxicity of Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy. Ann Surg Oncol. 2026 Mar 2. doi: 10.1245/s10434-025-19059-x. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41772250. What was this study about? This study looked at the financial challenges (often called “financial toxicity”) experienced by people undergoing cytoreductive surgery

Somashekhar, S.P. HIPEC in Advanced Ovarian Cancer: From Controversy to Contextual Standard of Care. Indian J Gynecol Oncolog 24, 52 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40944-026-01122-4 What is this study about? This article looks at a treatment approach called HIPEC (hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy) for people with advanced ovarian cancer—a cancer that often spreads within the abdomen. Even with surgery and chemotherapy, many patients still have tiny cancer cells lef

Al Mahrizi, A.D., Mossolem, F., Major, E. et al. Prophylactic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy with Platinum Agents Following Curative Resection for Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Ann Surg Oncol 33, 2972–2984 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-025-18903-4 What is this study about? This research looked at a strategy to help prevent colorectal (colon and rectal) cancer from coming back after surgery. Even when surgery successfully removes all visible

A quarterly newsletter with the latest news, views and announcements from Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International (PSOGI) Led by pioneering surgical oncologist Dr. Paul Sugarbaker, PSOGI is a collaboration of experts from around the world on the treatment of peritoneal cancer and is dedicated to improving treatment and survival of patients with peritoneal metastases . We are proud to share their quarterly newsletter. This newsletter highlights new research on cancers

By Debbie Carmel California In 2024, at age 64, my world changed overnight. It started on a Tuesday in January with a sharp pain in my lower left abdomen. Like many of us do, I chalked it up to "old age" or maybe diverticulitis. I even felt well enough by that Saturday to go wine tasting with friends. I had no idea that a “watermelon-sized” tumor was growing inside me. By February, a wellness exam led to a CT scan, and by March, I was in surgery. My diagnosis was a moving tar

Bhatt A, Stepanyan A, Al-Niaimi A et al. Principles of cytoreductive surgery for primary and metastatic peritoneal malignancies—the PSOGI–ESGO–ISSPP Lyon consensus. The Lancet Oncology, 27, e181-e194 Overview This article brings together an international group of experts to establish clear, consistent guidance on how to perform cytoreductive surgery, a complex procedure used to treat cancers that have spread within the abdominal lining (the peritoneum). These cancers can in

Researchers are developing better tools to help predict outcomes for patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), a rare appendix cancer treated with CRS and HIPEC. While these prediction models aren't perfect, they may help patients and doctors have more informed conversations about treatment, risks, and expected outcomes while supporting more personalized care.

Mouawad C, Osseis M, Pocard M. Beyond total PCI thresholds: Limitations of the surgical peritoneal cancer index in decision-making for cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. The American Journal of Surgery, 2026; 257 Rethinking how doctors decide who can get major cancer surgery This study looked at how doctors decide whether a patient with cancer that has spread inside the abdomen should have a complex surgery called CRS-HIPEC (a combination of

Rakchha Chhetri, Natansh D Modi, Bradley D Menz, Erik Cornelisse, David Postma, Nicole M Kuderer, Gary H Lyman, Sandra M Swain, Lee X Li, Ahmad Y Abuhelwa, Ross A McKinnon, Sina Vatandoust, Ganessan Kichenadasse, Andrew Rowland, Michael J Sorich, Ashley M Hopkins, Sex-based prognosis in industry-sponsored advanced solid tumour trials: an individual participant data meta-analysis of survival and adverse events, JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2026;, djag046,...

By Helene Morris Maryland Before I asked my most pressing question, my surgical oncologist answered it. “Helene,” he said, “This is not your fault. There is nothing you did to cause this cancer.” Three weeks later, I was in an operating room at Mercy Hospital, undergoing the surgery that would extend my life. Cytoreductive Surgery with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy, known simply as CRS with HIPEC. is among the most aggressive treatments used for advanced abdominal

Sardi A, Uzhegova K, Iugai S, et al. Outcomes of cytoreductive surgery in unfavorable appendix cancer histologies: meaningful survival with complete cytoreduction despite high peritoneal cancer index. Presented at: Advanced Cancer Therapies; February 2026; Fort Lauderdale, FL. New Research Offers Hope for Patients with Advanced Appendix Cancer For patients diagnosed with rare and aggressive appendix cancers, treatment decisions can often feel limited—especially when the disea

Associations between the primary colorectal tumor budding score and the histological growth pattern of peritoneal metastases: A pilot study . Bouatrous, Mendhi et al. Surgical Oncology Insight, Volume 3, Issue 1, 100236 . About This Research Gastric (stomach) cancer that spreads to the lining of the abdomen—called peritoneal carcinomatosis—is one of the most difficult forms of the disease to treat. Traditional chemotherapy given through the bloodstream often struggles to re