Quality of life after intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy (IPHC) for peritoneal carcinomatosis.

AIMS: This study assessed the functional status and quality of life (QOL) of patients with disseminated peritoneal cancer (DPC) before and after cytoreductive surgery plus intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy (IPHC).

METHODS

Patients with confirmed or suspected diagnosis of gastro-intestinal cancer including stomach, pancreas, hepatobiliary and colorectal cancer with peritoneal implants were enrolled in the study. Sixty-four patients completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colon (FACT-C) scale and several other instruments at baseline. Forty-eight, 40, 39 and 31 patients were assessed at approximately 2 weeks post-surgery, and 3, 6 and 12 months respectively.

RESULTS

There was a significant overall effect on the physical (P=0.0025), emotional (P<0.0001) and functional well-being (P=0.0044) subscales and the FACT-C (P=0.0076). Physical and functional well-being scores decreased at post-surgery follow-up and increased relative to baseline at 3, 6 and 12 months. Nineteen per cent, 46%, 59% and 74% of patients resumed greater than 50% of their normal activities post-operatively at 3, 6 and 12 months respectively. A percentage of patients reported depressive symptoms: baseline (28%), post-operatively (33%), 3 months (23%), 6 months (21%) and 12 months (29%).

CONCLUSIONS

Cytoreductive surgery followed by IPHC was well tolerated. Most patients returned to baseline or better levels of functioning within 3 months post-treatment.