Increased Survival Rates Confirmed for Advanced Ovarian Cancer Through HIPEC Procedure

Professors Im Myeongcheol and Park Sangyun of the National Cancer Center (from left in the photo).

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] A study has found that applying intraperitoneal hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) after interval debulking surgery for advanced ovarian cancer increases survival rates.

The research team led by Professors Myungchul Im and Sangyoon Park from the National Cancer Center announced these findings on the 23rd. Despite various treatments such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy after surgery, ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among female cancers. Even with appropriate treatment, 50-80% of patients with advanced ovarian cancer experience recurrence.

For patients with advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer, appropriately performing HIPEC depending on the patient's condition can enhance treatment effectiveness. HIPEC is a treatment method where, after surgically removing the visually identifiable cancer areas, a high-temperature chemotherapy agent is circulated directly within the peritoneal cavity for about 90 minutes to eliminate any remaining cancer cells.

The research team confirmed through a "Randomized Clinical Trial of HIPEC and Primary or Interval Debulking Surgery in Ovarian Cancer" that applying HIPEC following interval debulking surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with advanced ovarian cancer can improve survival rates. These results were published in the March 2022 issue of the official journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA Surgery.

The team randomly assigned women with stage 3 or 4 advanced ovarian cancer with residual tumors less than 1 cm after surgery to receive HIPEC. In patients who underwent HIPEC after interval debulking surgery following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the median progression-free survival (PFS) increased from 15.4 months to 17.4 months, and the median overall survival (OS) extended from 48.2 months to 61.8 months. The hazard ratios (HR) for recurrence or death were 0.60 (a 40% reduction in recurrence risk) and 0.53 (a 47% reduction in death risk), respectively, confirming improved prognosis for patients treated with HIPEC.

Professor Sangyoon Park stated, "We have continued research for over 10 years to prove the safety and efficacy of HIPEC for ovarian cancer, resulting in this achievement. We expect that applying HIPEC in patients undergoing interval debulking surgery for advanced ovarian cancer will improve treatment outcomes." Professor Myungchul Im added, "We are conducting clinical research and collaborating domestically and internationally to enhance treatment effects for ovarian cancer patients through HIPEC. We plan to soon initiate a randomized clinical trial for platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer, and we are also preparing clinical studies to verify the usefulness of HIPEC in stage 4 and high-risk stage 3 ovarian cancer patients."

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