Peritoneal Mesothelioma and Cytoreductive Surgery
Cytoreductive surgery involves surgically removing visible tumors and as much affected tissue as possible from the abdominal cavity. It is an intricate procedure that is typically performed by a specialized surgical oncologist.
During the surgery, the surgeon aims to remove all visible tumor nodules or masses from the peritoneal lining, organs, and other affected areas in the abdomen. This extensive surgery may involve removing parts of organs, such as the peritoneum, liver, spleen, bowel, and others, depending on the extent of the disease. Cytoreductive surgery is often done in combination with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). After the tumor removal, heated chemotherapy drugs are circulated in the abdominal cavity to target any
remaining cancer cells and microscopic deposits.