Published online Sep 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i35.12493
Revised: April 10, 2014
Accepted: June 2, 2014
Published online: September 21, 2014
Processing time: 221 Days and 19 Hours
Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC), the dissemination of cancer cells throughout the lining of the abdominal cavity, is the second most common presentation of colon cancer distant metastasis. Despite remarkable advances in cytotoxic chemotherapy and targeted therapy for colon cancer over the last 15 years, it has been repeatedly shown that these therapies remain ineffective for colon cancer PC. Recently, there has been a rapid accumulation of reports that cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) prolongs the life of colon cancer PC patients. Here, we will review the clinical presentation, the mechanisms of disease progression, and current treatment options for colon cancer PC, with a focus on the benefits and limitations of CRS-HIPEC.
Core tip: This paper aims to review the clinical presentation, the mechanisms of disease progression, and current treatment options for colon cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis, with a focus on the benefits and limitations of cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.