Treatment of Peritoneal Surface Malignancies with Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intra-peritoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC): Experience in Israel

The treatment of peritoneal surface malignancies, either primary or secondary (peritoneal metastasis), has evolved over the past two decades. A nihilistic approach of incurable “carcinomatosis” is changing into treatment of peritoneal metastasis with curative intent. The aim of the present study is to review the current practice, past history, and future of peritoneal surface oncology in Israel. A systematic review of all patients treated in institutions performing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intra-peritoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for the treatment of peritoneal surface malignancies. Each center provided the following data: start year, number of total cases, number of cases performed in 2017, and the method used (open vs. closed technique). Between 1990 and 2018, there were 1462 patients treated by CRS/HIPEC in Israel by eight different surgical groups in six medical centers. Currently, there are seven surgical groups in six medical centers routinely performing CRS/HIPEC. The annual rate of CRS/HIPEC was 171 cases in 2017 with a range of (4–69 cases/center). This is the first step of establishing an Israeli Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group that will have joined database and perform clinical trials in this challenging field of surgical oncology.