A feasibility, pharmacokinetic and frequency-escalation trial of intraperitoneal chemotherapy in high risk gastrointestinal tract cancer

A Clinical Pharmacological Perspective on Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

Peritoneal metastases (PM), frequently observed in malignancies such as ovarian, colorectal, pancreatic, and gastric cancers, present a significant therapeutic challenge due to poor prognosis and limited effectiveness to systemic chemotherapy. The peritoneal-plasma barrier reduces effective drug transfer from plasma to the peritoneal cavity, reducing cytotoxic effects on PM. Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy offers a locoregional approach, enabling high local drug concentrations that can enhance therapeutic efficacy while limiting systemic toxicity. The three major methods for IP administration-hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC), and catheter-based IP (CBIP) chemotherapy-each provide unique pharmacokinetic (PK) advantages for PM treatment. This review provides a comprehensive update on the pharmacological rationale of IP chemotherapy, focusing on drug characteristics that support extended IP retention and effective tumor targeting. The effects of administration variables are discussed, highlighting their role in optimizing IP drug exposure. Additionally, recent PK data on commonly used drugs in IP therapy, including platinum-based agents, taxanes, and novel nanoparticle formulations, will be evaluated. While PK rationale supports the administration of IP chemotherapy, further efficacy results from ongoing clinical trials are still awaited. Innovations in nanoparticle-based formulations and controlled-release systems offer substantial potential for improving both drug retention and targeted delivery, enhancing treatment precision and minimizing systemic toxicity. Continued exploration in these areas, along with optimization of IP administration protocols, is vital for advancing patient outcomes, refining therapeutic strategies, and maximizing the benefits of IP chemotherapy in clinical practice.

A Preliminary Study of Immediate Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Stage III Colorectal Cancer

OBJECTIVES

Investigate the survival of patients with stage III colorectal cancer (CRC) treated with immediate postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

METHODS

The clinical data of 195 patients with stage III CRC admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from June 2017 to June 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into an observation group and a control group, both groups were treated with the routine laparoscopic radical operation, on the basis of which, the patients in the observation group were treated with intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy during the operation. The local recurrence, abdominal cavity metastasis, and liver metastasis were followed up, and the time of disease recurrence and total survival were recorded.

RESULTS

The survival analysis showed that there was a significant difference in progression-free survival (χ 2 = 5.416, P = 0.020) and overall survival (χ 2 = 4.673, P = 0.031) between the observation group and the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

During laparoscopic radical resection of CRC, the use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy with raltitrexed can achieve satisfactory results and improve the survival rate of patients with stage III CRC, perioperative use of raltitrexed has been shown to be beneficial in terms of overall survival and progression-free survival.

Colorectal cancer peritoneal metastases: Biology, treatment and next steps

The presence of peritoneal metastases in patients with advanced colorectal cancer is associated with poor prognosis but the mechanisms for this are unclear. This review summarises the current knowledge of the pathophysiology, clinical features, prevalence, prognosis, and molecular biology of peritoneal metastases and the risk factors for the development of peritoneal metastases following resection of a primary colorectal tumour. Furthermore, the evidence for treatment strategies are described including cytoreductive surgery, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, early post-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy, sequential post-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy and emerging novel strategies. Active areas of research should include the identification of individuals at high risk of peritoneal metastases after curative resection of primary tumour, development of a surveillance program for high-risk patients, optimisation of systematic therapies and further investigation of the use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Feasibility of adjuvant laparoscopic hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in a short stay setting in patients with colorectal cancer at high risk of peritoneal carcinomatosis

INTRODUCTION

Treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) of colorectal cancer (CRC) origin is relatively ineffective and associated with morbidity. This raises the question whether we should focus on prevention of the development of PC. We determined the feasibility of adjuvant laparoscopic hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in a short stay setting.

METHODS

A prospective single centre pilot study was conducted between January 2011 and July 2012. Ten patients at risk of developing PC of CRC origin were included. Laparoscopic HIPEC using Mitomycin-C (90 min; inflow temperature 42-43 °C) was performed within several weeks after primary resection of CRC and was considered feasible when postoperative hospital stay was three days or shorter in at least six patients, and if a maximum of one conversion and one re-admission within 30 days occurred.

RESULTS

HIPEC was performed after a median of 6 weeks (range 3-9 weeks). Postoperatively, five patients were discharged at day one, four patients at day two and one patient at day three. Laparoscopic adhesiolysis resulted in small bowel injury in one patient, but no conversion to open surgery and no postoperative complications were observed. One patient was readmitted within 30 days due to a clostridium infection. The postoperative course was uneventful for the remaining patients.

CONCLUSION

Adjuvant laparoscopic HIPEC appeared to be feasible in a short stay setting based on this small pilot study. The necessity of adhesiolysis determines the complexity of the procedure and requires an operating team with experience in minimally invasive abdominal surgery.

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy as adjuvant treatment to prevent peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal cancer origin: a systematic review

Background:

Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) of colorectal cancer (CRC) origin is associated with poor outcome. This systematic review evaluates the available evidence about adjuvant (hyperthermic) intraperitoneal chemotherapy ((H)IPEC) to prevent the development of PC.

Methods:

A systematic search of literature was conducted in August 2013 in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane database for studies on (H)IPEC to prevent PC in patients who underwent curative surgery for primary CRC.

Results:

Seven comparative studies and five cohort studies were selected. Treatment schedules varied between repeated fluoropyrimidine-based IPEC administration in the ambulatory setting to intra-operative (H)IPEC procedures using mitomycin-C or oxaliplatin. The reported rates of major complications related to adjuvant (H)IPEC was low. Four out of five evaluable comparative studies reported a significant difference in the incidence of PC in favour of (H)IPEC. All three comparative studies reporting on survival after intra-operative (H)IPEC showed a significant survival benefit in favour of the experimental arm. Substantial heterogeneity in patient selection, treatment protocols, and treatment effect evaluation among studies was observed.

Conclusions:

The currently available evidence about adjuvant (H)IPEC in high-risk CRC is limited and subject to bias, but points towards improved oncological outcome and supports further randomised studies.