Dr. Cohen on the Shortcomings of Trials Evaluating Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC in CRC

Stacey A. Cohen, MD, physician, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, associate professor, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine, physician, UW Medicine, associate professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, discusses the shortcomings of clinical trials evaluating cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Studies evaluating cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC have been incongruent in terms of how the cytoreductive surgeries are performed, the types of chemotherapies used, and how long the chemotherapy is administered to patients, Cohen says. Moreover, these factors could impact survival for this population.

Some data indicate that cytoreductive surgery is the most meaningful step of treatment for eligible patients, and that HIPEC may offer additive benefits, Cohen explains. Ultimately, the inconsistency within these studies calls attention to the need for careful patient selection and a comprehensive understanding of available literature to inform individual treatment plans, Cohen concludes.