Update of randomized controlled trials evaluating cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in prevention and therapy of peritoneal metastasis: a systematic review.

Background: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is associated with favorable short- and long-term oncological outcomes in highly selected patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM). The aim of our review was to review published, recruiting or ongoing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating CRS and HIPEC vs. other strategies (systemic chemotherapy or CRS alone) and to update the studies recently described in 2016.

Content: Systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines. Searches for published and ongoing trials were based, respectively, on PubMed and international clinical databases since 2016.

Summary: 46 trials randomized 9,063 patients: 13 in colorectal cancer (3 in therapeutic strategy and 10 in prophylactic strategy), 16 in gastric cancer (4 in therapeutic strategy and 12 in prophylactic strategy) and 17 in ovarian cancer (12 in front-line therapy and 5 in recurrence settings).

Outlook: In contrast to many recruiting studies, few published studies analyzed the potential advantage of CRS and HIPEC in therapeutic and prophylactic treatment of PM. The potential effect of this combined treatment has been proven in ovarian cancer in interval surgery, but remains still debated in other situations. Promising trials are currently recruiting to provide further evidence of the effectiveness of CRS and HIPEC.