Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Treated at Mercy Medical Center

Your abdomen is lined with a membrane called the peritoneum. Peritoneal surface malignancy or peritoneal carcinomatosis is one of a variety of tumors that spread through the abdominal cavity and may or may not also involve solid organs such as the liver, spleen and lymph nodes.

Cancer can originate from the appendix, colon, rectum, stomach (gastric), ovaries and other organs and then spread over the peritoneal surface of the abdominal cavity and other organs. It can also originate in the peritoneal lining and are called mesotheliomas or primary peritoneal cancers.

Commonly thought of as incurable tumors in the past, they can respond well to an aggressive therapy consisting of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). 

Symptoms of abdominal cancers may sometimes mimic those of benign illnesses. Some common symptoms of peritoneal surface malignancies include:

• Sharp or chronic pain in the abdomen
• An increase in the girth of your abdomen, swelling or bloating
• Increase in body weight
• Weakness and fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting after eating
• Change in bowel movement, recurrent diarrhea or constipation

Peritoneal surface malignancies are diagnosed and staged with X-rays, CT scans or MRI scans. Biopsies and blood tests are used to confirm the diagnosis.

Cytoreductive surgery used in conjunction with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is the main treatment option for patients with peritoneal surface malignancies.

Due to the complexity of the combined therapy of cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC, only a handful of surgeons are appropriately trained and experienced to offer this treatment method.  Our surgical oncology team performs this procedure on a regular basis and offers a high level of expertise along with a specialized clinical team for patients facing a diagnosis of peritoneal cancer.