HIPEC Surgery In India – Introduction

India has been receiving quite a good number of patients for HIPEC Surgery both from within the country as well as abroad. The reason for this is increasing awareness amongst patients about the excellent outcomes of this treatment.

Hyperthermic IntraPeritoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a cancer treatment approach in which a patient’s abdominal cavity is filled with chemotherapy drugs that have been preheated. This is why it is also referred to as “hot chemotherapy”. This treatment is done only after your surgeon has removed tumors from the diseased area.

Advantages of HIPEC Procedure over Standard Chemotherapy

HIPEC, or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, is a type of cancer treatment that has shown to be more effective than standard chemotherapy in some cases. There are several advantages of HIPEC over standard chemotherapy, including:

• Higher success rate: Studies have shown that HIPEC has a higher success rate than standard chemotherapy when treating certain types of cancer, such as ovarian cancer.
• Less side effects: Because HIPEC specifically targets the affected area, there are less side effects compared to standard chemotherapy, which can often cause nausea, hair loss, and fatigue.
• Shorter treatment duration: The average treatment duration for HIPEC is shorter than standard chemotherapy, which can often last for several months.

HIPEC is now being considered as the standard of care forperitoneal mesothelioma and metastatic appendiceal cancer. More and more efforts are being put in different countries to make this as standard of care, considering it remarkable results in giving patients a new lease of life.

What kind of Cancers can be treated through HIPEC?

Your oncologist may use HIPEC treatment for cancers that affect your abdomen or chest. The most common tumors that oncologists prefer treating through HIPEC are:

• Appendix tumors(that grow in appendix)
• Colorectal cancers (any area of your large intestine or the pathway which connects colon and rectum)
• Stomach or Gastric Cancer (that grows in inner lining of your stomach)
• Peritoneal Cancer (cancer that grows in the cells across abdominal lining)
• Cancers of connective tissues (soft tissue sarcomas)
• Other cancers like – kidney, liver, ovarian or pancreatic cancer

What Happens during HIPEC Procedure?

• Before the HIPEC procedure is started, your doctor uses standard surgical methods of removing all visible tumors which are possible to be removed all over the peritoneal cavity. This process is referred to as cytoreductive surgery. Further to the cytoreductive surgery, in the operating room itself, the surgeon will carry on with the HIPEC Procedure.
• During the procedure, your treating doctor will first put a cooling blanket underneath your body in order to keep your body at a safe temperature while you are undergoing the procedure.
• Then he or she will heat the chemo drug to a temperature of 42 degree Celsius (103 degree Fahrenheit) with the help of a special machine.
• This machine is then connected to your abdomen with the help of a connecting tube, which further delivers the heated chemo drug directly to the abdomen.
• The chemo drugs then move across your abdomen for around 1 to 1.5 hours thus killing the cancer cells left out after surgery and thus reduce the risk for cancer recurrence.
• During your treatment, the doctor will keep physically rocking you back & forth for a few times to make sure that the drugs are reaching all areas of your abdominal cavity.
• Your doctor may restrict you from feeding through your mouth for the initial few days of recovery after the procedure. He or she will give you nutrition through IV or a feeding tube.

According to research, it has been found that performing HIPEC post interval cytoreductive surgery can enhance the survival rate of cancer patients. For those with advanced or recurrent cancer, the best hospital for HIPEC in India can perform this novel procedure depending upon the patient’s medical condition and thusaugment the therapeutic effect.

HIPEC, as a treatment, circulates very high-temperature anticancer agents straightaway into the abdominal cavity of the patient for about 1.5 to 2 hours and eventually removes any residual cancer cells that could otherwise have stayed there and led to cancer recurrence.

How long can you survive after HIPEC surgery?

Patients with peritoneal metastasis and treated only with chemotherapy, average overall survival ranges from 8 to 15 months, whereas in patients who get treated with HIPEC, average survival rate ranges from 25 to 45 months. The 5-year survival is observed at 35% to 60%.

What is the cost of HIPEC surgery in India?

HIPEC surgery is a cancer treatment that is becoming increasingly popular in India. The cost of HIPEC surgery in India can vary depending on the hospital and the surgeon, but typically starts at around $4,500 USD. This price can increase depending on the complexity of the surgery and the length of time it takes to perform. However, many patients feel that the cost is worth it because HIPEC has been shown to be an effective treatment for various types of cancers.

We advise you to consult our oncologists and get your condition evaluated first before you plan your trip to India. This will also help in getting an estimated cost of your HIPEC Surgery.

Why Choose India for HIPEC Surgery?

• The best hospitals in India for HIPEC surgery will offer cytoreductive surgery as well as HIPEC surgery even if you have advanced-stage abdominal cancers like colorectal cancer, peritoneal cancer, appendix cancer, ovarian cancer, peritoneal mesothelioma or even stomach cancer.
• Our globally trained experts give a comprehensive and customized treatment plan for improving your quality of life. We not only use cutting-edge technology for your diagnosis and treatment, but also attach accuracy with precision at every single stage of HIPEC surgery in India.
• Our JCI accredited hospitals maintain their focus and assurance towards reducing your pain from cancer and this is done with the help of excellent teams possessing a feeling of compassionate care which puts you, the patient first at each and every step.

Do remember that we highly recommend consultation from our HIPEC specialist as soon as you get diagnosed with peritoneal cancer. This is so because if you wait for too long, your cancer may divide, grow and spread, thus making it difficult to perform HIPEC procedure. Therefore, taking the right decision at the right time plays a crucial role in deciding your further course of treatment and thus recovery.