When you seek care through the AHN Cancer Institute, you get connected with a team of experts dedicated to treating your specific type of cancer. For cancers that originated in or spread to the abdomen, our specialists may treat you with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). It’s a groundbreaking therapy that can be an effective option for treating advanced abdominal cancers, including:
AHN Cancer Institute specialists are experts in treating patients with HIPEC. And we continue to identify more patients who could benefit from the procedure. When you choose our world-class cancer team, you get specialists who are national leaders in research and innovation. We work together to determine the most effective treatment for you.
HIPEC is a highly concentrated chemotherapy that is heated, so cancer cells absorb it better. Before you receive HIPEC treatment, your surgeon first removes any visible tumors from the abdomen. A doctor then delivers the HIPEC solution directly to your abdomen to help kill any remaining cancer cells. A special machine helps it circulate throughout the abdominal cavity for up to two hours. Doctors use HIPEC to prevent cancer cells from growing into new tumors.
HIPEC treatment can be very effective for people with advanced abdominal cancers because it delivers a high dose of chemotherapy directly to diseased cells. It causes fewer side effects than intravenous chemotherapy because it is placed directly in your abdomen and then washed out. It doesn’t travel through your blood stream.
To find out more about HIPEC treatment, ask your AHN Cancer Institute doctor to connect you with one of our HIPEC specialists.
Call the AHN Cancer Help Line anytime at (412) NURSE-4-U (412) 687-7348 to schedule a cancer-related appointment or to just talk with our nurses about diagnoses, treatments, and side effects.
