Aim: Pseudomyxoma peritonei remains a fatal disease. This clinical pathological entity based on the presence of mucin includes different prognostic groups. Complete resection of macroscopic lesions, combined with immediate intraperitoneal chemotherapy to treat remnant infra-millimetric disease, might improve survival. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate this treatment strategy.
Methods: Thirty-six patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei underwent resection of supra-millimetric lesions then were given either early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (5 days) (before January 1996) or intraoperative chemohyperthermia treatment (after January 1996). During this same period, only partial resection of the macroscopic lesion was possible in 15 patients; these patients were not given peritoneal chemotherapy.
Results: Postoperative mortality was 13.8% (n=5), including 2 deaths not specifically due to the procedure. Morbidity, including severe and non-severe complications was 44%. After a mean follow-up of 48 months, the overall 5-years survival rate was 66%, and disease-free survival rate was 55% (including the postoperative deaths). The main prognostic factor in this series was the pathological grading: 5-years survival was 74% for grade 1 tumors versus 54% for grades 2-3 (P=0.05).
Conclusion: The main prognostic factor of the pseudomyxoma peritonei, after the completeness of the resection, is the pathological grading. The addition of an intraperitoneal chemohyperthermia improves long-term survival of grades 2-3 tumors and perhaps that of grade 1 (agreement of experts). This treatment is more easily performed, more well-tolerated, and more efficient when performed early.