# HIPEC (hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy)

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/hipec-procedure/  
OnCo record `hipec-procedure` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

After surgeons remove all visible tumour from the abdominal lining, the abdomen is bathed for 60-90 minutes in heated chemotherapy to kill the microscopic cells left behind.

## Summary

Cytoreductive surgery plus HIPEC is standard for pseudomyxoma peritonei and appendiceal cancers and has randomised support in ovarian cancer (van Driel 2018, OVHIPEC-1) and gastric cancer prevention of peritoneal recurrence, but PRODIGE 7 showed no benefit of oxaliplatin HIPEC in colorectal peritoneal metastases, so its role there rests on complete cytoreduction alone. Heat (41-43°C) increases drug penetration to a few millimetres. PIPAC delivers aerosolised chemotherapy laparoscopically for unresectable peritoneal disease and is in trials.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy; heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy; PIPAC; pressurised intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthermic_intraperitoneal_chemotherapy
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthermic_intraperitoneal_chemotherapy

## Connected records

- terms: [Debulking (cytoreductive surgery)](https://onco.cc/terms/debulking/), [Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy](https://onco.cc/terms/intraperitoneal-chemotherapy/), [Peritoneum and peritoneal metastases](https://onco.cc/terms/peritoneum/)
- cancers: [Appendiceal adenocarcinoma (mucinous and non-mucinous, including signet ring cell)](https://onco.cc/cancers/appendiceal-adenocarcinoma/), [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Gastric & gastro-oesophageal junction cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/gastric/), [Goblet cell adenocarcinoma of the appendix](https://onco.cc/cancers/goblet-cell-adenocarcinoma/), [Low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm and pseudomyxoma peritonei](https://onco.cc/cancers/low-grade-appendiceal-mucinous-neoplasm/), [Ovarian cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/ovarian/)
- fronts: [Chemotherapy](https://onco.cc/fronts/chemotherapy/), [Surgery & Interventional](https://onco.cc/fronts/surgery/)
- technologies: [HIPEC / PIPAC (intraperitoneal chemotherapy)](https://onco.cc/technologies/hipec/), [HIPEC perfusion pumps and PIPAC nebulisers](https://onco.cc/technologies/hipec-pipac-devices/)

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