Making a difference this ovarian cancer awareness month

March is ovarian cancer awareness month. 

Patients at UCLH with advanced stage disease are benefitting from an innovative treatment, Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).  The machine used for this treatment was funded by UCLH Charity. 

In the UK, 75 per cent of women with ovarian cancer present with advanced stage disease (FIGO stage 3 or 4). Typically, treatment options for these patients would include a combination of surgery and chemotherapy, the order of which depends on the disease’s spread and an assessment of the patient’s fitness. 

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is an innovative treatment which involves administering heated chemotherapy during surgery. This is in addition to the standard intravenous chemotherapy usually prescribed as part of the existing treatment programme. For patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer, HIPEC has been shown to have a significant impact on survival. 

Mr Ioannis Kotsopoulos, HIPEC programme lead, consultant gynaecological oncology surgeon and honorary associate professor, said: “I am excited that UCLH is now able to offer HIPEC to our patients diagnosed with advanced stage ovarian cancer. The HIPEC programme for ovarian cancer is a great example of the fantastic multidisciplinary teamwork here and is the result of the great efforts and collaboration of both clinical and management teams. 

“I’m personally also very grateful to the UCLH Charity for their support. We are all very proud to be one of only a few UK hospitals able to offer this innovative technique. I hope to see our patients living well for longer after receiving HIPEC.” 

UCLH is one of a handful of NHS hospitals offering HIPEC for the treatment of patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It is anticipated that around 30 per cent of patients undergoing surgery may be clinically suitable for HIPEC.