For patients with advanced HIPEC PROCEDURE

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of Medicine, a separate not-for-profit subsidiary of Drexel University.
Drexel University is not involved in patient care.
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HIPEC PROCEDURE
Drexel Surgery can now dramatically
increase hope for patients through
a breakthrough treatment option.
For patients with advanced
abdominal cancer.
Until recently, treatment for advanced
cancers of the abdominal cavity could
provide only relief from symptoms,
with no hope of stopping disease
progression or prolonging life.
Drexel Surgery can now dramatically
increase hope for patients through a
breakthrough treatment option that
combines surgery with a procedure
called Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal
Chemotherapy (HIPEC).
In clinical trials, this combination
therapy has been shown to slow or
prevent recurrence of cancer and
significantly extend the survival rate
of patients. Drexel Surgery performs
HIPEC on patients with the following
forms of advanced cancer of the
abdominal cavity:
s!PPENDICEAL
s#OLON
s'ASTRIC
s,OWGRADE3ARCOMAS
s/VARIAN
s0ERITONEAL-ESOTHELIOMA
s0SEUDOMYXOMA0ERITONEI
The HIPEC Procedure
How HIPEC Works
The procedure is performed by Drexel Surgery
at Hahnemann University Hospital, where
dedicated cancer specialists, anesthesiologists
and nurses administer HIPEC in the operating
room immediately following cytoreductive
surgery (CRS).
Heat kills cancer cells at temperatures that
leave normal cells unharmed. Heating
chemotherapeutic agents makes them more
effective at killing cancer cells than they are
at normal temperatures. Circulating heated
chemotherapy throughout the peritoneal or
abdominal cavity allows the solution to be
distributed thoroughly and penetrate directly.
After removing all visible tumors, the surgeon
delivers high doses of heated chemotherapy
directly into the abdominal cavity. Penetrating
diseased tissue, the solution circulates
throughout the abdomen for at least 90 minutes
to destroy any microscopic cancer cells.
In certain cases, HIPEC can be performed
using minimally invasive approaches such as
laparoscopy or robotic surgery.
Since the solution does not circulate throughout
the bloodstream, attacking healthy cells,
HIPEC does not cause the side effects typically
associated with intravenous chemotherapy
such as nausea, fatigue or hair loss.
Recovery time depends on the extent of
the surgery, but patients can expect to
stay at Hahnemann University Hospital for
approximately 7 to 14 days following the
procedure. HIPEC treatment is coordinated
with a patient’s oncologist, who provides
continued care after the procedure.
Is HIPEC Right for You?
Patients are selected for HIPEC based on the
type and location of their tumor(s).
HIPEC is a major procedure not without risk,
and since recovery can be substantial, HIPEC
is not for everyone. A Drexel Medicine cancer
specialist in HIPEC can help you determine if
HIPEC is the right option.
Please call 215-762-1647 or visit
drexelmedicine.org for more information.