WellStar Kennestone Hospital continues to lead the way with innovative medical technology and treatment. Patients with certain types of advanced abdominal cancer typically have very limited treatment options, but a new procedure using a combination of heat and chemotherapy administered during surgery is giving hope to cancer patients at Kennestone and other WellStar hospitals.

The procedure, called Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemoperfusion, (HIPEC), is used to treat patients with cancer that has spread to the abdominal cavity usually primary colon, appendix, gastrointestinal and ovarian cancers. Data over the past five years shows patients undergoing this treatment live longer and have a better quality of life.

“Clinical studies show cytoreductive surgery in combination with HIPEC to be significantly more effective than surgery alone, thus offering many patients, who otherwise would have limited options, an improved prognosis and quality of life,” said Sahir Shroff, M.D., a surgical oncologist with WellStar Health System. “We are excited to be able to offer this cutting edge technology for patients with advanced abdominal cancer.”

A potential candidate for this type of procedure undergoes a variety of staging and diagnostic studies in order to show that the tumor is limited to the abdomen’s inner lining. The procedure entails a complete surgical tumor removal from all surfaces inside the abdomen. Immediately following tumor removal, a heated sterile solution containing chemotherapeutic agents is circulated throughout the abdominal cavity for a period of 1.5 hours using a system called the ReCirculator 8.0, which was developed by Eight Medical Corporation. The ReCirculator delivers chemotherapy directly to the abdominal cavity and precisely manages the temperature and flow rate of the solution.

This 633-bed community hospital continually earns its distinction as a “Top 100” hospital with ongoing investment in new technologies like Georgia’s first CyberKnife®, TomoTherapy® and da Vinci® robotic surgical systems.

There are many advantages to starting your cancer treatment at WellStar. We built our program around you, and providing you with state of the art comprehensive cancer care. Whether you’re just getting started, or if you’re looking for a second opinion, let us help you.