Background: The aim of this study was to report the role of combined treatments, including cytoreductive surgery and perioperative regional chemotherapy, in patients with synchronous systemic and intraperitoneal dissemination of appendix cancer.
Methods: Patients with synchronous systemic and intraperitoneal dissemination of appendix cancer were treated with cytoreductive surgery and perioperative regional chemotherapy. Variables statistically analyzed with survival as an end point included demographic characteristics, prior surgical score (PSS), tumour marker levels, peritoneal cancer index (PCI), and completeness of cytoreduction (CC).
Results: Mean follow up was 42.6 months, median survival time (MST) for 15 patients was 28 months and 5-year survival rate was 29.4%. Female patients had a longer MST than male patients (p=0.0199). Survival was better in patients with PSS 0 and 1 (p=0.0277). Patients with elevated CEA and CA 19-9 levels had a shorter MST (p=0.0083 and p=0.0193, respectively). PCI and CC comparisons did not show significant differences. Morbidity (n=2) and mortality (n=2) rates were 13.3% respectively.
Conclusion: Acceptable morbidity and mortality and a 29.4% 5-year survival rate allows cytoreductive surgery and regional chemotherapy to be considered as a treatment option for selected patients with synchronous systemic and intraperitoneal dissemination of appendix cancer.