Background: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare peritoneal condition where mucus-secreting tumorous cells progressively produce a thick, gelatin-like substance. The prognosis of patients with PMP is determined by the degree of cellularity within the mucin (low-grade (LAMN) vs. high-grade (HAMN) histologic features) and by the extent of the disease. Methods: Prognostic relevance of tumor markers CA19-9 and CEA, gender, Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI), and completeness of cytoreduction (CC) after cytoreductive surgery were evaluated on 193 consecutive PMP patients, based on a retrospective analysis of prospectively gathered data from a German tertial referral center. Results: We demonstrated that low PCI, CC0 status, low-grade histology, and female gender were independent positive prognostic factors for both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Furthermore, LAMN patients with achieved CC0 status show significantly better OS and PFS compared to those with CC1 status (p = 0.0353 and p = 0.0026 respectively). In contrast, the duration and drug of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) were not prognostic in any comparison. Increased CA19-9 and CEA levels were significantly associated with HAMN cases, but also predicted recurrence in patients with low-grade histologies. Conclusion: Our study confirmed the prognostic role of tumor markers and emphasized the importance of CC status and PCI in a large cohort of PMP- and LAMN patients.
Objectives: To assess the risk perception and the uptake of measures preventing environment-related risks in the operating room (OR) during hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) and pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC). Methods: A multicentric, international survey among OR teams in high-volume HIPEC and PIPAC centers: Surgeons (Surg), Scrub nurses (ScrubN), Anesthesiologists (Anest), Anesthesiology nurses (AnesthN), and OR Cleaning staff (CleanS). Scores extended from 0–10 (maximum). Results: Ten centers in six countries participated in the study (response rate 100%). Two hundred and eleven responses from 68 Surg (32%), 49 ScrubN (23%), 45 Anest (21%), 31 AnesthN (15%), and 18 CleanS (9%) were gathered. Individual uptake of protection measures was 51.4%, similar among professions and between HIPEC and PIPAC. Perceived levels of protection were 7.57 vs. 7.17 for PIPAC and HIPEC, respectively (p<0.05), with Anesth scoring the lowest (6.81). Perceived contamination risk was 4.19 for HIPEC vs. 3.5 for PIPAC (p<0.01). Information level was lower for CleanS and Anesth for HIPEC and PIPAC procedures compared to all other responders (6.48 vs. 4.86, and 6.48 vs. 5.67, p<0.01). Willingness to obtain more information was 86%, the highest among CleanS (94%). Conclusions: Experience with the current practice of safety protocols was similar during HIPEC and PIPAC. The individual uptake of protection measures was rather low. The safety perception was better for PIPAC, but the perceived level of protection remained relatively low. The willingness to obtain more information was high. Intensified, standardized training of all OR team members involved in HIPEC and PIPAC is meaningful.