Ascension St. John Hospital
19229 Mack Ave
Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236
Dr. Sharif Sakr
Gynecologic Oncologist
Dr. Richard Berri
Director of Surgical Oncology and Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program
Van Elslander Cancer Center at St. John Hospital and Medical Center
Schedule Conversation
HIPEC at Ascension St. John
What is HIPEC
Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy or HIPEC, is a procedure that has applications for advanced cancers that have spread to the lining of the abdominal cavity including colorectal, gastric, ovarian, appendiceal and mesothelioma.
The treatment involves surgically removing cancerous tumors from the abdominal cavity, then bathing the cavity with heated chemotherapy. Dr. Berri then continuously circulates the heated, sterile chemotherapy solution throughout the abdominal cavity for up to two hours. The solution is then removed and the incision is closed.
Delivering heated chemotherapy throughout the abdominal cavity distributes the drug thoroughly and allows it to directly penetrate the areas of cancer and reach areas where cancer cells aren’t easily visible.
HIPEC is a viable treatment option that has been shown to extend and improve patients’ quality of life.