An Analysis Of Methods Of New Therapy for Gynecologic Cancer
January 22nd, 2012
Those with gynecologic cancer have fresh new hope from a original technology currently made available at the Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. A team of cancer specialists, led by Robert DeBernardo, MD, is among the first in the nation to launch a dedicated program using Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) to treat ovarian, endometrial and select other cancers.
Completed immediately following surgical treatment, HIPEC provides heated chemotherapy through a ‘hot bath’ into the abdominal cavity, where it can penetrate diseased tissue directly. Right after the physician takes out all of the visible cancer as attainable, a heated, a sterilized chemotherapy solution is distributed all through the mid-section by way of a technologically sophisticated perfusion process to eliminate the leftover cancer cells.
“This is a new and potentially revolutionary way of treating women with gynecologic cancers, which tend to be quite responsive to chemotherapy,” says Dr. DeBernardo, gynecologic oncologist at UH Case Medical Center and Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “Our preliminary data and experience has been overwhelmingly positive and the therapy has been well-tolerated and effective. HIPEC promises to extend lives in a meaningful way.”
HIPEC has been used for years for public health care in patients with colon, pseudomyxomas, malignant mesothelioma and appendiceal cancer, cancers that usually are not responsive to chemotherapy, however it is now looked at as an encouraging brand new therapy for gynecologic malignancy.