Dehydration, Heat and Chemotherapy Could Offer a Knockout Punch for Peritoneal Cancer
When cancer spreads to the peritoneal cavity, where the stomach and intestines are located, the prognosis is typically poor. In many cases, peritoneal cancer is discovered at an advanced stage, and survival rates can be as low as three months. Such cancers appear as many tiny nodules on the outside of organs in the cavity, making surgical removal difficult. One option is to introduce chemotherapy drugs directly into the cavity, where they can bathe the outside of the organs. Heating the fluid containing the drug to approximately 43 degrees Celsius has been shown to improve effectiveness in killing the cancer. However, even with these enhancements, the treatment only helps a small proportion of patients. There is a clear need for more effective therapies.
