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Research Spotlight: Why the “Heat” in HIPEC Matters — And What It Means for Patients
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
Nov 20


Good News for Women’s Health: Updated Guidance on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
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
Nov 11


Rethinking How Surgeons Are Trained to Treat Peritoneal Surface Malignancies
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
Nov 7


Travel and Outcomes for Appendix Cancer Patients Undergoing CRS/HIPEC
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
Nov 3


Timely Referrals and Specialized Centers Improve Outcomes for Rare Cancers
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
Nov 3


Unlocking New Possibilities for Immunotherapy for Colorectal Cancers
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
Oct 31


PSOGI World News - October 2025 Newsletter
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
Oct 13


Why Federally Funded Cancer Trials Matter, Especially for Rare Abdominal Cancers
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.
Oct 8


New NCI Director Brings Hope for Rare and Abdominal Cancers Research
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) — the nation’s leading cancer research agency — has a new director. Dr. Anthony Letai officially...
Oct 8


Does Chemotherapy Before Surgery Help in Advanced Appendix Cancer?
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
Oct 7


Chemotherapy After Surgery for Advanced Appendix Cancer: Is It Needed?
Ekaterina Baron, Armando Sardi, Mary Caitlin King, Andrei Nikiforchin, Felipe Lopez-Ramirez, Carol Nieroda, Vadim Gushchin, Panayotis...
Oct 6


Research Spotlight: CRS + HIPEC Improves Survival in Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Serkan Yaşar MD , Feride Yılmaz MD , Güngör Utkan MD , Efnan Algın MD , Doğan Bayram, MD , Selim Tamam MD , Ömür Berna Çakmak Öksüzoğlu...
Sep 12


Research Spotlight: Chemo Before Surgery Improves Outcomes in Ovarian Cancer
Mary Kathryn Abel, MD, MAS ; Varvara Mazina, MD ; Amy J. Bregar, MD; et al. JAMA Network Open; Published Online: July 25, 2025;...
Sep 3


Research Spotlight: Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC Is NOT a Last Resort: Why Early Referral Matters
Leah E. Hendrick, MD , Seth Felder, MD , Iman Imanirad, MD , and Sean P. Dineen, MD, MHPE JCO Oncology Practice (Oct 2024). Volume 21,...
Aug 25


CRS/HIPEC Shows Long-Term Survival Benefit for Advanced Ovarian Cancer (OVHIPEC-1)
OVHIPEC-1 confirms that for women with advanced ovarian cancer, combining HIPEC with cytoreductive surgery can provide a meaningful, long-term survival benefit while maintaining quality of life.
Aug 15


Research Spotlight: Multicenter Study Strengthens Case for CRS/HIPEC in Peritoneal Metastases from Small Bowel Adenocarcinoma
Marco Tonello MD, PhD , Carola Cenzi MS, PhD , Elisa Pizzolato MD , Manuela Martini RN , Pierluigi Pilati MD & Antonio Sommariva MD ...
Jul 24


PSOGI World News - July 2025 Newsletter
A quarterly newsletter with the latest news, views and announcements from Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International (PSOGI) Led by...
Jul 10


Trial of Radical Upfront Surgical Therapy (TRUST) in Advanced Ovarian Cancer
Sven Mahner, Florian Heitz, Sahar Salehi, Alexander Reuss, Frederic Guyon, Andreas du Bois, Philipp Harter, Christina Fotopoulou, Denis...
Jul 1


Uncovering Social Disparities in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer
Real-world social determinants of health (SDOH) and outcomes of early-onset colorectal cancer (EO-CRC): An analysis of a large,...
Jun 30


Appendix Cancer Rates Rising in Younger Adults: Birth Cohort Effects in Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma Incidence Across the United States
Researchers used National Cancer Institute data to compare appendix cancer rates across generations. They found that people born in the 1980s were three to four times more likely to be diagnosed with this cancer than those born in the 1940s.
Jun 12


Summary of STOPGAP trial: a Phase II clinical trial for gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers
Maheswari Senthil, Farshid Dayyani BMC Cancer This research article about the STOPGAP trial explores a new treatment approach for...
May 1


PSOGI World News - April 2025 Newsletter
A quarterly newsletter with the latest news, views and announcements from Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International (PSOGI) Led by...
Apr 21


Ten-Year Outcome of a Randomized Trial: Cytoreduction and HIPEC with Mitomycin C Versus Oxaliplatin for Appendiceal Neoplasm with Peritoneal Dissemination
Edward A. Levine MD, Heidy Cos MD, Konstantinos I. Votanopoulos MD, PhD, Perry Shen MD, Greg Russell MS, Paul Mansfield MD, Keith...
Mar 31


How Prior Surgeries Affect Outcomes in Mucinous Appendix Cancer Patients Undergoing CRS/HIPEC
Sergei Iugai MD, Mary Caitlin King BS, Vladislav Kovalik MD MPSH, Luis Felipe Falla-Zuniga MD, Kseniia Uzhegova MD, Abeerah Wasti BS,...
Feb 28


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