Prophylactic HIPEC with radical D2 gastrectomy improves survival and peritoneal recurrence rates for locally advanced gastric cancer: personal experience from a randomized case control study

BACKGROUND: To investigate the implications of prophylactic intraoperative Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) with D2 radical gastrectomy for locally advanced Gastric Cancer (AGC) in a randomized case control study. METHOD: Eighty consecutive patients with locally AGC were randomly separated into 2 groups: HIPEC group (Curative Resection + intraoperative HIPEC with cisplatin 50 mg/m(2) at 42.0 ± 1.0 °C for 60 min) and Control group (Curative Resection only). Intraoperative and post-operative events, clinical recovery, morbidity and the disease-free survival (DFS) rates were closely monitored. RESULTS: Faster recovery of bowel function (43 ± 5 h vs 68 ± 7, P < 0.05) and shorter postoperative stay (8d vs 14d, P < 0.05) were noted in the HIPEC group. Among the 40 HIPEC group patients, the highest intracranial temperature recorded during the procedure was 38.2 °C but the patient made an eventless recovery. Mild renal dysfunction, hyperbilirubinemia and mild liver dysfunction were recorded in the HIPEC group but their incidences were found to be statistically insignificant when compared with the control group (P > 0.05). The 3 year DFS rate analysis showed that the prophylactic HIPEC group had a higher DFS rate (93% vs 65%, P = 0.0054). The peritoneal recurrence rate was lower in the HIPEC group (3% vs 23%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Prophylactic HIPEC with radical D2 Gastrectomy improves survival and peritoneal recurrence rates for AGC with favorable post-operative recovery at low and acceptable morbidity.