The impact of multidisciplinary team approach on cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal carcinomatosis

Background: Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS–HIPEC) is a therapeutic approach used to achieve curative treatment in intra-abdominal malignancy with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). However, it is a complicated procedure with high post-operative complication rates. Thus, we analyzed our preliminary data to establish whether multidisciplinary teamwork (MDT) implementation is beneficial for CRS–HIPEC outcomes. Method: A series of 132 consecutive patients with synchronous or recurrent PC secondary to gastrointestinal or gynecologic cancer who received CRS–HIPEC operation between May 2015 and September 2017 were included. Ninety-nine patients were categorized into the MDT group, with the 33 other patients into the non-MDT group. Results: The mean PCI score was 16.3 ± 8.8. Patients in the MDT group more often presented a higher PCI score (p value = 0.038). Regarding CRS completeness (CCR 0–1), it was distributed 81.8% and 57.6% in the MDT and the non-MDT group, respectively (p value = 0.005). Although post-operative complications were common (n = 62, 47.0%), post-operative complication rates did not differ between the two groups. The cumulative OS survival rate at the first year was 75.5%. Older age (p = 0.030, HR = 4.58, 95% CI = 1.16–18.10), ECOG 2 (p = 0.030, HR = 6.41, 95% CI = 1.20–34.14), and incomplete cytoreduction (p = 0.048, HR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.04–8.27) were independent prognostic factors for survival. Conclusions: Our experience suggests that the CRS–HIPEC performed under MDT cooperation may result in higher complete cytoreduction rates without increasing post-operative complications and hospital mortalities.