HIPEC for Peritoneal Carcinomatosis from Colorectal Cancer

rsnow

I was diagnosed with IIIc colon cancer (6 lymps) in August 2013 and had surgery then folfox.  A recent scan showed shadows in the peritoneaum and a recent lapo biopsy revealed cancer reoccurrence.  Today I started 3 months of Folfiri after which I have a planned HIPEC surgery.  I hear it can be rough.  Any war stories out there?

 

HIPEC for peritoneal metastases from colon cancer seems to be pretty rare.  Am I one of the first?

Lovekitties

Hi

In answer to your question..."am I one of the first" to have HIPEC...the answer is no.

There are a number of folks who have posted here who have had it.

There is a search box on the page where you can enter HIPEC and it will give you a list of all posts which contain that word.

I don't know how many are still here posting, but your best bet is the more current posts.

Wishing you best with your treatments.

Marie who loves kitties

janderson1964

I am sorry about your

I am sorry about your recurrence but it sounds like you and your doctors have a good plan of attack. I have had many surgeries but HIPEC is not one of them. I have heard it is tough though. If no one can help you hear I am sure you can find some first hand experiences on the Colon Club.

Trubrit

Hello there!

One of our members, Kipper, had HIPEC earlier this year. She doesn't post very often, but some of her old posts are on here. You might want to see if you can find one. 

I have heard that it is a tough surgery and recovery, but worth it in the end if all turns out well. 

Good luck!

Sue - Trubrit

RobinF

I had HIPEC in May

HIPEC isnt a walk in the park of a surgery but it was do-able. My surgery was 10 hours, i was in the hospital for 5 days before I was discharged. I had some issues with the woumd healing, but thats resolved. i'm 5 months post surgery and still feel sore and not quite 100% but I'd do the surgery again if need be.  

I have had a recurrence so a repeat isnt out of the real. Of possible for me.  Good luck, and feel free to ask any other q's you might have. 

 

Robin

 

abrub

I didn't have HIPEC, but know lots of people who did

It's a standard of care for my cancer (Appendix cancer.)  I had a non-heated IntraPeritoneal chemo, administered post-op (8 years ago!)

Of those I know who had the surgery with HIPEC, some bounced back very quickly (out of the hospital in under 2 weeks) and back to work within 3 months.  For others, it has been much harder.  Everyone is different.  I was in the hospital for 4 weeks from my surgery and first round of IP chemo - many complications.  Others with the identical treatment, out in a week.  (Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC does the non-heated IP chemo more routinely - similar effects, different chemicals used.)

Send me a PM if I can be of help.

Alice

traci43

HIPEC in 2009

I had HIPEC in 2009 after my first recurrence.  I had been working out, boot camp style so my recovery was pretty good.  I was scraping wallpaper 4 week spost surgery and back to work after 3 months, really could have gone back after 2 months.  :-)  I'd say a lot depends on the your general health and fitness pior to surgery and whether you have complications after.  I had a recurrence that took two additional non-HIPEC surgeries and 5 years to get me to in remission.

You'll spend a couple of days in ICU pretty much out of it with ventilator and NG tubes.  They'll pump you full of fluid to flush out the last of the chemo so you'll swell up and then your body will get rid of it.  At one point my hospital bracelet was really tight, but by the time I left I slipped it off my hand.  Once you get up and start moving around you'll feel better.  The ventilator hurt my throat and the day after that came out was the worst, for me.  Have paper and pencil ready to write with, you may not be able to talk with the tube in.  I had a "tunnel" epidural that was in place for 7 days providing pain relief and I never needed anything else, even after they took it out.

It was tough and even with the recurrence I don't regret having tried it.  Good luck!  Traci

mccabrera

It does seem RARE

My 29 yo daughter has Stage 3b colorectal cancer with secondary peritoneal carcinomatosis and it does seem like it's rare. I've searched for others with the same diagnosis and you are the first I found.  My daughter had 12 treatments of folfiri and is now on folfox with avastin. We are not sure the chemo is working--it may not be.  She was referred to a surgical oncologist for CRS/HIPEC. 

If you could please let me know how your HIPEC surgery went and how you are doing?   

And if anyone else knows someone with the same diagnosis please let me know so i can contact them as well.

thank you

*Note: The oncologist said it was Stage 3b based on medical definition but most websites I read say that metastisis to peritoneal is Stage 4.