HIPEC?

Nana b
Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Can they do radiation on your lungs?   My new spots are on my lungs and want to ask my ONC about putting chemo directly to the tumors, I believe it's called HiPec??  

 

I did did ask before about chemo directly to my liver but ONC stated he wanted to do the maintenance chemo to mop up all areas and if it didn't work then go and do radiation. He has never mentioned HiPec 

 

The thought of all that chemo in my body for three tiny spots just doesn't set right with me. Feel like saying stop the chemo. I've been here before, yes, but this is my second run and I hear about all the after affects of chemo. Drives me nuts. Actually this is the part that I think about the most about.   This is definitely my last chemo, I've been doing raw produce and pretty much eliminating other food.  Since I'm making smoothies, I'm losing weight and getting more energy.   I can't eat right now while on OXY.  ONC will extend the times between my chemo,  once I get my CEA under 5.   

 

Just wondering if it's possible to do the procedure in the lungs and what is the procedure's proper name?

 

Thanks 

 

 

Comments

  • LivinginNH
    LivinginNH Member Posts: 1,456 Member
    #2
     
    Hi,
    No, HIPEC isn't made

     

    Hi,

    No, HIPEC isn't made for the lungs, just the abdomen.  My Rick had HIPEC since he had peritoneal mets, but it didn't work, the cancer was identified again only four months later.

    Take care,

    Cyn

    Here is the definition of HIPEC:

    What is HIPEC?

    Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a highly concentrated, heated chemotherapy treatment that is delivered directly to the abdomen during surgery.

    Unlike systemic chemotherapy delivery, which circulates through the body, HIPEC delivers chemotherapy directly to cancer cells in the abdomen. This allows for higher doses of chemotherapy treatment. Heating the solution may improve the absorption of chemotherapeutic drugs by tumors and destroy microscopic cancer cells that remain the abdomen after surgery.

    How it works

    HIPEC is performed during surgery to remove visible tumors within the abdomen. After debulking, the surgeon administers the chemotherapy solution to penetrate and destroy cancer cells that remain in the abdomen after surgery. High doses of a sterile solution containing chemotherapy drugs are circulated throughout the abdomen, for up to two hours.

    Once the hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy treatment is complete, the solution is drained from the abdomen and the incision is closed.

    HIPEC is a treatment option for people who have advanced surface spread of cancer within the abdomen, without disease involvement outside of the abdomen.

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #3
    Is there any chance they can do some surgical procedure,

    like VATS, on the lungs?  And if you have liver involvement, then do HAI directly to those tumors?  Seems like from what I've read on the forums, that sometimes a piecemeal appraoch can be quite effective, without the systemic damage of chemo.

  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #4
    I believe Dr. David

    I believe Dr. David Sugarbaker (in Boston) may do thoracic HIPEC for lung mets.  He's the brother of Paul Sugarbaker, who developed the "Sugarbaker Technique" of HIPEC for peritoneal surface malignancies.  It may be worth a call.

  • biglaur
    biglaur Member Posts: 72 Member
    #5
    Stereotactic radiation

    I had one small met on my lung and one small met on my liver.  I opted for stereotactic radiation instead of surgery.  Five visits to the radio-oncologist...3 for the liver, 2 for the lung.  BIG huge scary machine, tattoos, lots of "pre" set-up, but the procedure each time didn't take too long, and there were NO side effects.  I did it all between rounds 5 and 6 of chemo (since I was taking a break to feel good for my daughter's wedding) My next several subsequent ct scans freaked everyone because the scarring is so bad it looks like the mets have grown...but the onc had warned us and it all calmed down after a couple of months.  That was in '08 (original colon resection in '06)  I'm still here and still NED.  Dr Arno Mundt at UCSD is brilliant and thinks WAAAAY outside the box.  Good luck with your decision.  Laurie

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