HIPEC in Ovarian Cancer: Where Do We Go From Here? (Opinion)

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 First Published Online March 23, 2016

 In the view of this commentator, the ongoing debate regarding a potential role for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the management of ovarian cancer represents an excellent example of the rarely publicly discussed fundamental clash between the requirements of so-called evidence-based (e.g., randomized phase III trial data) medicine versus the roles of both clinical innovation in advancing therapeutic paradigms and a focus on optimizing care for the individual patient. Furthermore, the discussion emphasizes the genuine difficulty associated with distinguishing excellent clinical judgment from selection bias in the conduct of prospective nonrandomized clinical trials or the analysis of retrospective reports of institutional experiences.
 

A Very Brief Review and Discussion of the Background of This Debate

HIPEC

The Role of Surgical Cytoreduction in Ovarian Cancer

Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in the Management of Ovarian Cancer

Conclusion