The role of Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) as second-line debulking in advanced ovarian cancer patients. A meta-analysis

Abstract

Purpose: Ovarian cancer, as a type of gynecological cancer with one of the highest morbidity and recurrence rates, has been the burning issue for modern research. With new therapeutic methods coming to light, the focus on the promising Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) has raised questions about its efficacy on patients’ overall survival (OS) and post-surgical quality of life. Methods: A meta-analysis was performed in order to estimate the role of HIPEC in advanced ovarian cancer, concentrating, among others, on the following quality of life. After thorough research on the PubMed and Cochrane databases, using the terms ‘HIPEC, ovarian cancer’, as well as decoding the results on the last decade, a total of nine articles were selected for this purpose. Results: Data decoding revealed a notorious improvement of OS of the cytoreductive surgery (CRS) plus HIPEC versus the CRS arm at 1, 3, 4 and 5 years respectively; (OR 1.10; 95% CI, 0.85-1.43), (OR 1.53; 95% CI, 1.12-2.10), (OR 1.70; 95% CI, 1.03-2.81), (OR 1.22; 95% CI, 0.77-1.95). At 2 years, the collected data depicted a small worsening in OS (OR 0.92; 95% CI, 0.70-1.19). Conclusion: HIPEC, in spite of its recent innovative nature, has already given positive signs for ovarian cancer therapeutic mapping. Objective of the conducted study focuses on investigating its reflection in advanced stages and recurrent ovarian cancer lesions, respectively.