Research

Zhu Y, Hanna N, Boutros C, Alexander HR Jr. Assessment of clinical benefit and quality of life in patients undergoing cytoreduction and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) for management of peritoneal metastases. J Gastrointest Oncol. 2013 Mar;4(1):62-71. doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2078-6891.2012.053. PMID: 23450068; PMCID: PMC3562622. What Was This Study About? Peritoneal metastases occur when cancer spreads to the lining of the abdomen (the peritoneum). This can happ

Switching Chemotherapy Drugs During Repeat CRS-HIPEC Surgery

Setayeshpour, Y., Chen, SY., Dayanidhi, D.L. et al. Ascites protects against ferroptosis and enables the peritoneal growth of ovarian cancer. Nat Commun 17, 4190 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72116-1 A newly published study in Nature Communications sheds light on an important question in ovarian cancer research: why ovarian cancer cells are often able to survive and spread throughout the abdominal cavity. Researchers from Duke University School of Medicine found

A new study from researchers, led by Dr. John Shen, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is helping doctors better understand how routine follow-up testing may improve care for people living with appendiceal cancer, a rare cancer that begins in the appendix. Researchers found that common blood tests known as tumor markers may help predict how patients respond to treatment and whether their cancer is more likely to return after surgery. The findings reinforce a

Falla-Zuniga, L.F., King, M.C., Pawlikowski, K. et al. Quality of Life After Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC): Cancer Survivors’ Perspective Through In-Depth Interviews. Ann Surg Oncol 31, 7122–7132 (2024). What is this study about? This study looked at women with advanced ovarian cancer (stage III) who underwent: Cytoreductive surgery (surgery to remove as much cancer as possible) With or without HIPEC (heated chemotherapy deliv

Gudmundsdottir H, Yonkus JA, Thiels CA, Warner SG, Cleary SP, Kendrick ML, Truty MJ, Grotz TE. Oncologic Outcomes of Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Highly Selected Patients with Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 Nov;30(12):7833-7839. doi: 10.1245/s10434-023-14138-3. Epub 2023 Aug 19. PMID: 37596449. What is this study about? This study looked at a challenging situation: pancreatic cancer that has spread

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

What is this interview about? This interview with Dr. Kiran Turaga explains a new approach to treating abdominal cancers called personalized chemotherapy. Instead of giving every patient the same treatment, doctors are working to match chemotherapy to each person’s specific tumor—so it works better and causes fewer side effects. Dr. Kiran Turaga Why is this important? Abdominal cancers (like colorectal, appendix, or ovarian cancers that spread in the abdomen) can be difficult

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).

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 l

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 visib

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

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 i

Xu N, Hasjim B, Rouhi A ... Validation of nomograms predicting survival in patients undergoing CRS-HIPEC for peritoneal dissemination of mucinous appendiceal cancer. Surgical Oncology Insight, 2026; 3 What is this study about? Some rare tumors that start in the appendix can spread inside the abdomen and produce a jelly-like substance. This condition is called pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). The main treatment for PMP is a major surgery called cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combin

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 o

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,..

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 dis

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

Amblard I, Mercier F, Bartlett DL, Ahrendt SA, Lee KW, Zeh HJ, Levine EA, Baratti D, Deraco M, Piso P, Morris DL, Rau B, Tentes AAK, Tuech JJ, Quenet F, Akaishi E, Pocard M, Yonemura Y, Lorimier G, Delroeux D, Villeneuve L, Glehen O, Passot G; PSOGI and BIG RENAPE working groups. Cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC improve survival compared to palliative chemotherapy for biliary carcinoma with peritoneal metastasis: A multi-institutional cohort from PSOGI and BIG RENAPE groups.

In February, the Surgical Oncology team from Mercy Medical Center shared their research and clinical insights at the 20th Anniversary Advanced Cancer Therapies (ACT) Meeting — a landmark gathering for the peritoneal surface malignancy (PSM) community. Advancing Surgical Quality in CRS/HIPEC Care Dr. Vadim Gushchin, Alliance Board member, presented “The Power of Consistency in Achieving Surgical Quality: 30 Years, 2 Surgeons, 1 Nonacademic PSM Program.” This review highlighte

Layna Mager et al. Biotin Supplements for Hair and Nail Regrowth: A Caution for Oncologists. JCO Oncol Pract 0 , OP-25-00693. DOI: 10.1200/OP-25-00693 Why This Study Matters Hair thinning and nail changes are common side effects of cancer treatment. Many patients turn to over-the-counter supplements marketed to improve hair, skin, and nail health — especially biotin (vitamin B7). This review highlights an important concern: while biotin is widely viewed as harmless, it

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. The latest issue of PSOGI World News , the quarterl

Ostowari A, Chen KT, Hasjim BJ, Montero S, Sedighim S, Tajik F, Roman M, Dayyani F, Daly S, Smith BR, Nguyen NT, Eng OS, O'Leary MP, Senthil M. Underutilization of Staging Laparoscopy Prior to Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy in Gastric Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol. 2026 Feb;33(2):1343-1349. doi: 10.1245/s10434-025-18547-4. Epub 2025 Oct 17. PMID: 41107646; PMCID: PMC12765731. When stomach (gastric) cancer or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer is diagnosed, doctors often recommend

Brianna M. Krusen, Phyllis A. Gimotty, Greg Donahue, Jacob E. Till, Melinda Yin, Erin E. Carlson, William R. Bamlet, Erica L. Carpenter, Shounak Majumder, Ann L. Oberg, Kenneth S. Zaret; Improving a Plasma Biomarker Panel for Early Detection of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma with Aminopeptidase N (ANPEP) and Polymeric Immunoglobulin Receptor (PIGR). Clin Cancer Res 15 February 2026; 32 (4): 756–769. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-25-3297 Why This Matters Pancreatic

Framarini M, D'Acapito F, Lippolis PV, Di Giorgio A, Di Pietrantonio D, Sommariva A, Sammartino P. Expanding the role of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy: A multicenter study on uncommon peritoneal malignancies. World J Clin Oncol 2025; 16(12): 112443 [PMID: 41480175 DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i12.11244 3] Peritoneal metastasis is when cancer cells spread from the stomach or other organs to the lining of the abdominal cavity. This type of sprea

Matsumiya, M., Sonoda, H., Yamashita, H. et al. Intraperitoneal Paclitaxel-Induced Eosinophil Recruitment as a Potential Mediator of Tumor Response in Peritoneal Metastases from Gastric Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol (2026). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-025-19075-x What was studied? Researchers looked at how i ntraperitoneal chemotherapy (medicine delivered directly into the abdominal cavity) affects the immune environment in people with gastric (stomach) cancer that has spread t

Predictors of Peritoneal Surface Recurrence and Quantitative Association with Time to Relapse After Complete CRS/HIPEC for Colorectal Peritoneal Metastasis. (2026). Cancers. 18. 299. DOI: 10.3390/cancers18020299 . Understanding Recurrence After CRS/HIPEC for Colorectal Cancer Spread to the Abdomen When colorectal cancer spreads to the lining of the abdomen (called peritoneal metastasis ), one treatment option for carefully selected patients is cytoreductive surgery (CRS) com

Pham ENB, Horeweg N, van der Marel J, Nooij LS. Survival benefit of cytoreductive surgery in patients with primary stage IV endometrial cancer: a systematic review & meta-analysis . BJC Rep. 2024 Oct 8;2(1):76. doi: 10.1038/s44276-024-00084-4 . PMID: 39516418; PMCID: PMC11523991. What Did the Study Look At? This research combined results from multiple published studies to find out whether cytoreductive surgery (CRS) — surgery that removes as much visible cancer as possible —

Phase II trial of systemic therapy plus intraperitoneal (IP) paclitaxel (PTX) in gastric/GEJ cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis (GPC): STOPGAP trial.

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. Understanding the Study: Bowel Blockages in Advanced Ovarian Cancer This stu

This research study explored outcomes for people with colorectal cancer that had spread to two places at the same time: the lining of the abdomen (called the peritoneum), and the liver.

Safety and Efficacy of Cisplatin and Doxorubicin Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosolized Chemotherapy (PIPAC) in Patients with Ovarian Cancer with Peritoneal Metastases: A Multicenter US Phase I Trial. Authors : Nakamura, B., Senguttuvan, R., Ruel, N.H. et al. Ann Surg Oncol 33 , 415–425 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-025-18432-0 A New Way to Treat Cancer Spread in the Abdome n This study looked at a treatment called Pressurized Intra-Peritoneal Aerosol Chemother

Predictors of Successful Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Interval Cytoreductive Surgery in Management of Ovarian Cancer. ** Authors : Claudia Marchetti, MD, PhD, Gwenael Ferron, MD, et al. JCO Oncology Practice, Nov 24, 2025. DOI: 10.1200/OP-25-00469 Understanding Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Surgery What the Study Was About This study focused on individuals with ovarian cancer who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). This means they undergo chemotherapy before surgery. T

Efficacy and Safety of Secondary Cytoreductive Surgery with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in Platinum-Sensitive Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Liu, HY., Tian, LH., Huang, G. et al. World J Surg Onc 23, 423 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12957-025-04076-7 What the Study Looked At Researchers examined data from over 1,100 individuals with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer. This means their cancer initially responded to p

Controlling perfusion temperature relates to better outcomes after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Lopez-Ramirez, Felipe et al. European Journal of Surgical Oncology, Volume 52, Issue 1, 110536 What is HIPEC? HIPEC ( Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy ) is a treatment where, after a surgeon removes as much visible tumor as possible (cytoreductive surgery), heated chemotherapy is circulated directly inside the abdominal cavity. Th

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a major change that affects hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women in menopause. After reviewing many years of research, they are removing certain “black-box” warnings from HRT products. These warnings were once very prominent and suggested high risk in broad terms. What are they changing? The FDA will update labels for HRT products to remove or reduce warnings about heart disease, breast cancer, and dementia, when use

At the Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International (PSOGI) meeting in Barcelona this October, Alliance Board Member Dr. Vadim Gushchin presented a new perspective on how surgeons should be trained to care for patients with peritoneal surface malignancies (PSM)—a group of rare cancers that spread inside the abdominal cavity, titled " What is special about teaching and learning PSM surgery? ". PSMs are cancers that spread inside the abdominal cavity , forming many small or

Vladislav Kovalik, MD, MSPH; Armando Sardi, MD, FACS; Mary Caitlin King, BS; Sergei Iugai, MD; Luis Felipe Falla-Zuniga, MD; Carol Nieroda, MD; and Vadim Gushchin, MD, FACS The Institute for Cancer Care at Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, MD Presentation Patterns and Treatment Outcomes in Appendix Cancer Patients Traveling to a High-Volume Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Center. Am Surg. 2025 Nov;91(11):1889-1897. doi: 10.1177/00031348251337155. Epub 2025 May 5. PMID: 4032288

A recent study by Mercy Medical Center reveals that despite longer delays to treatment and more advanced disease at presentation, out-of-state patients with rare appendix cancers achieve comparable long-term outcomes to local patients when treated at a high-volume specialized center. Key findings from the research, published July 2025 in The American Surgeon, include: Patients traveling from out of state waited an average of 4.6 months from diagnosis to surgery, compared to 2

This study focused on a key challenge: in many bowel cancers, especially stromal-rich types (those with lots of supporting tissue, or stromal cells, around the tumor), immune therapies aren’t working as well as hoped. Researchers investigated how certain “support” cells within the tumor (called stromal cells) may be actively helping the cancer by suppressing the body’s immune system. Then they investigated how to turn the immune system back on again in these hard-to-treat can

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 . While PSOGI World News is a quarterly publication primarily intended for healthcare professionals, t

When you hear “clinical trials,” you might think of the drug companies doing studies of new medicines. But did you know that federally funded trials—backed by government agencies—play a unique and absolutely critical role in cancer research? A recent study shows just how important they are for rare cancers, children, and complex treatment strategies.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) — the nation’s leading cancer research agency — has a new director. Dr. Anthony Letai officially...

Carlos A Munoz-Zuluaga , Mary Caitlin King , Panayotis Ledakis , Vadim Gushchin , Michelle Sittig , Carol Nieroda , Katherine Zambrano-Vera , Armando Sardi Systemic chemotherapy before cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) in patients with high-grade mucinous carcinoma peritonei of appendiceal origin . European Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2019 Sep;45(9):1598-1606. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31109821/ Summary: Researche

Ekaterina Baron, Armando Sardi, Mary Caitlin King, Andrei Nikiforchin, Felipe Lopez-Ramirez, Carol Nieroda, Vadim Gushchin, Panayotis...

Serkan Yaşar MD , Feride Yılmaz MD , Güngör Utkan MD , Efnan Algın MD , Doğan Bayram, MD , Selim Tamam MD , Ömür Berna Çakmak Öksüzoğlu...

Mary Kathryn Abel, MD, MAS ; Varvara Mazina, MD ; Amy J. Bregar, MD; et al. JAMA Network Open; Published Online: July 25, 2025;...

Leah E. Hendrick, MD , Seth Felder, MD , Iman Imanirad, MD , and Sean P. Dineen, MD, MHPE JCO Oncology Practice (Oct 2024). Volume 21,...