| Theme |
Advancement of Medical Practice for Peritonitis and Ascites |
| Title |
Cancerous Peritonitis in Gastrointestinal Malignancy |
| Author |
Shuntaro Yoshida |
Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| Author |
Hironori Ishigami |
Department of Chemotherapy, The University of Tokyo |
| Author |
Kazuhiko Koike |
Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| [ Summary ] |
Gastrointestinal cancers are important diseases among all cancers, and some of these cancers involve peritoneal dissemination. The prognosis of cancerous peritonitis is very severe and there is scarce evidence regarding the usefulness of the presently used systemic chemotherapy or tumor‒resection combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in this condition. With respect to cancerous peritonitis, the development of a combination therapy with intraperitoneal chemotherapy with taxane drugs and systemic chemotherapy is ongoing. This combination therapy is effective in gastric cancer, and a new therapeutic strategy based on this is expected to develop. Because cancerous peritonitis may cause obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract and biliary system, not only surgical drainage but also endoscopic drainage is important for its management. It is, thus, essential to decide the treatment plan by a multidisciplinary approach. |