Advances in ovarian cancer treatment: CHIPOR trial shows HIPEC improves overall survival
Estimates indicate that in 2024 there were approximately 3,716 new cases of ovarian cancer in Spain, making it the eighth most common type of cancer in women. The Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) also indicates that ovarian cancer is one of the main causes of death from malignant gynaecological tumours in the country.
In this context, the prestigious scientific journal, The Lancet Oncology has recently published the results of the CHIPOR study, which evaluates the efficacy of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer with platinum-sensitive peritoneal recurrence.
Standard treatment and additional options
Standard treatment for ovarian cancer includes platinum-based chemotherapy and cytoreductive surgery. Depending on clinical and tumour characteristics, bevacizumab or a PARP inhibitor may be added as maintenance treatment. These additional treatments may help improve outcomes in patients with ovarian cancer.
Key factors for long-term survival
The most important factors for long-term survival are a prolonged platinum-free interval and complete removal of the tumour by surgery.Relapse of ovarian cancer usually occurs in the peritoneum.About 75% of cases present with peritoneal carcinomatosis, a common cause of symptoms such as ascites, abdominal pain and bowel obstruction. Its progression is a major cause of death.
Advances in treatment: HIPEC
A significant advance in the treatment of ovarian cancer is hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). According to the CHIPOR study, patients treated with HIPEC have shown a significant improvement in overall survival compared to those who did not receive this treatment.After a median follow-up of 6.2 years, the median overall survival was 54.3 months in the HIPEC group and 45.8 months in the non-HIPEC group, a very significant and relevant increase of more than 9 months, a milestone in oncology.
In addition, progression-free survival also improved with HIPEC, driven by improved peritoneal progression-free survival.
The significance of the CHIPOR trial is that it is the largest randomised study prospectively evaluating HIPEC in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, suggesting that HIPEC may be an important therapeutic option to improve outcomes in patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer relapse.
CHIPOR trial
The CHIPOR trial, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Congress (ASCO 2023), is a French multicentre study involving 415 patients with relapse in the form of peritoneal metastases from platinum-sensitive epithelial ovarian cancer (peritoneal metastases occurring more than 6 months after the last intravenous platinum chemotherapy treatment).
Results showed that HIPEC improves overall survival (median 54.3 months vs. 45.8 months) and peritoneal progression-free survival (median 13.1 months vs. 12.2 months) compared to cytoreductive surgery alone.
This benefit was achieved without increasing the rate of major complications or mortality. In fact, there were three deaths within 60 days of surgery in the group of patients treated without HIPEC and no deaths in the group treated with HIPEC.
These advances in the treatment of ovarian cancer offer hope for improving the quality of life and survival of ovarian cancer patients.
At IVOQA we are specialists in Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC), an innovative treatment for patients with advanced cancer that has spread to the peritoneum. HIPEC consists of the administration of chemotherapy at a temperature between 40-43ºC for a specific time, usually between 60-120 minutes, at the end of cytoreduction surgery.
Our preoperative preparation ( prehabilitation) and postoperative management programmes for a protocolised recovery ( ERAS HIPEC international programme) aim to reduce complications and postoperative length of stay.
The aim is to enable the patient to return to life and activity as soon as possible and to start postoperative doses of intravenous chemotherapy as soon as possible.
Treatment with HIPEC aims to eliminate microscopic disease and possible free tumour cells in the abdomen, thus prolonging the patient’s life and improving their quality of life. At IVOQA we are committed to offering the most advanced and effective treatments to combat cancer.
