HIPEC: standard of care or an experimental approach?

Abstract

We applaud the recent report of the debate about the role of cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic perioperative chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the treatment of peritoneal metastases.1 Irrespective of opinion about the efficacy of HIPEC and whether this procedure is a standard of care or an experimental approach, until data from a randomised trial are available, this approach must be regarded as experimental. Indeed, the report in 2007 of the consensus for HIPEC as a reference treatment2 was presented as being supported by data from 11 phase 2 trials.