Peritoneal Cancer in Men

HIPEC Procedure
Hi: I'm not a man but do have secondary peritoneal cancer (from gallbladder cancer). Anyways, there have been several discussions on this procedure, called HIPEC (don't know what it stands for exactly but it is an intra-peritoneal heated chemotherapy technique whereby heated chemicals (likely the same ones or similar ones you had during regular IV chemotherapy)are injected into your abdominal cavity over several treatments. It is usually done after a debulking/destripping surgery. You can look at information on this treatment by typing it into your google (or whatever) browser. Dr Sugarbaker now at Washington Hospital developed it in Europe. There are some threads on this on this discussion board and also on the ovarian cancer and colon cancer discussion boards.
Good luck.
Cheryl

I had chemo directly into my abdominal cavity
I had mucinous adenocarcinoma of the appendix which had spread throughout the peritoneum. I had a belly port placed, and received IP chemo 3 days every other week (infusions were 2-4 hours each day.) I had FUDR.

It sounds horrible, but for most people, it is just uncomfortable - a bloated feeling. I was a rare one in that it caused a chemical peritonitis, and thus extreme pain. My chemo nurses at Memorial Sloan Kettering had never seen this reaction in anyone before, and they do lots of IP chemo there. Thus, they kept me on a dilaudid drip during the treatments. The 3 IP chemo beds on the 4th floor of the clinic (you have to lie down) were always full when I was there. I don't know about all the other floors, but I know other chemo suites had the beds as well, as at one point they were going to send me to a different floor.

Some people get heated IP chemo during surgery: HIPEC. Yes, there are men who have dealt with this. The question is where did your cancer originate? Also, did you have PMP (pseudomyxoma peritonei)?

Alice

You

Hi Nate...

We have had men post on this board because, although it is a rarer occurance, men do get PPC too and often that is overlooked. It's a lonely experience at the best of times and it's harder for those who are isolated which is why we wanted PPC distinct from Ovarian cancer. To answer your question, I wasn't offered intra abdominal chemo. I'm not sure why I wasn't but from what I understand, intra abdominal chemo is normally given during surgery. In a woman's case, the surgery is called debulking where the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and omentum are taken away to reduce the disease. I was wondering whether you would have to have some kind of surgery too? Take good care ...

Peritoneal Carcinomatosis

Hi,

My husband was very recently diagnosed with peritoneal carcinomatosis as a result of cholangiocarcinoma mestasis. He underwent three rounds of chemo (with cisplatin and gemcitabine) and after doing body scans, we were told that the chemo took care of the cancer that was found in a cyst that was removed from his bile duct. My husband started having abdominal pains shortly thereafter and after a month they decided to test some fluid that was accumulating in his stomach. They found cancer. They want to do chemotherapy using capecitabine oxaliplatin and flofox(5FU oxaliplatin) to see if they would help him. Can anyone here shed some light as to what to expect from the upcoming chemo treatments?

Jim Bruce said:

PC

Hi Nate. I am a 52 yr old male with pain underneath my right rib cage, feels like skin ripping apart. Have had upper GI, CT and all looks okay. Was reading about PC online. What were your symptoms? How did they discover it? How are you doing?

jim1961

PPC symptoms

To Jim Bruce--I'm obviously not male, but my primary peritoneal cancer was diagnosed years after a total hysterectomy. For me, as I understand is the case with most PPC patients, the symptoms were vague: pain in different parts of the abdomen. The first move towards accurate diagnosis, after several false starts, was a CT scan. My PCP called while I was driving home from the CT scan & said, "Could be cancer; we're not sure." From that experience I deduce that if your CT scan was clear you might not have to worry. I'm certainly no expert, but I would say that if your symptoms are in the upper abdomen, that's not consistent with what I've learned are PPC symptoms.

Also, for women with PPC, a blood test for the cancer antigen 125 is a benchmark measure. I understand that at least for PPC recurrence, rising CA125 levels precede clinical symptoms. Not sure if this same principle applies for men. But most female PPC patients, and ovarian cancer patients too, keep a close watch on their CA125 results.

The long trip to my PPC diagnosis has taught me one thing, though: keep after the docs until you get your symptoms explained & diagnosed. 

More on my story at www.CaringBridge.org/visit/CaroleSeaton

Blue24 said:

Hi Alicia 

Hi Alicia 

I think your husband and my husband has the same case. They recently removed  fluids building up in his stomach and was diagnosed with peritoneal disease . He is scheduled to have a port a cath to start his chemo. Like you i am looking for some answers too being this is a rare case in men. If you find any more information please share them to me. Thank you. Hope everything goes well with your husbands treatment . 

Blue24-Have answered U here~http://csn.cancer.org/node/306613

Hello “Blue24”

            Although you have directed your question to Alicia, if you click on the blue box on the left hand side of her post, you will see that she has only posted once.  “About Alicia_BO - Joined on Sunday, March 24 2013 - Last online - Thursday, April 04 2013”.  Sometimes people come on only once and never return.  However, they need to realize that most of us on here may not be able to answer them in a 24-hour period because many of us are fighting the same battles.  The day we read the post may not be the day that we are feeling our best.  I see she checked back in for the last time on April 4^th of 2013.  So it may be that you can try to send her a private message via the e-mail system here on CSN, but I have a feeling you will not receive an answer.  It’s always best to read some of the more current postings regarding the questions you have.  Or at least check the date on the post.  So in this case Alicia has not posted anything on here in 3 yrs. And 7 months.  And don’t worry, you’re not the first person that didn’t realize that they should check the date that person last posted anything. 

 Based on your questions to “Alicia”, may I assume that your husband has been diagnosed with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis?  So based on that assumption I have compiled a lot of “homework assignments” for you that relate to Peritoneal Cancer and Peritoneal Carcinomatosis.  So please go here to see my answer to you.

 It is difficult to find “plentiful info” on this cancer, because it is so rare, and is usually related with other types of cancers.  And more so, is usually found in many more women than men.  May God give you the grace to endure and persevere in the coming days.  Hope this info helps.

Please Go here:  http://csn.cancer.org/node/306613

 Loretta Marshall

 Peritoneal Carcinomatosis/Ovarian Cancer Stage IV