HIPEC at interval cytoreductive surgery

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy delivered with platinum during interval cytoreductive surgery, after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for stage III ovarian cancer, is a combination pairing that extended survival in the phase 3 OVHIPEC-1 trial without additional major complications, and the benefit was confirmed at ten years of follow-up; a Korean trial is supportive. The rationale is direct high-dose exposure of residual microscopic peritoneal disease at the moment of maximal cytoreduction, with hyperthermia enhancing platinum uptake into tumour cells. The benefit appears specific to the interval-surgery setting. HIPEC at primary surgery is still being tested in OVHIPEC-2.