Comparison of the outcomes of cytoreductive surgery versus surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal carcinomatosis: a propensity score matching analysis

Background Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are effective treatment options for selected patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). We compared the short-term outcomes of surgery plus HIPEC and CRS alone for PC. Methods We retrospectively examined patients who underwent CRS-HIPEC for PC at a single center from 2014 to 2019 using the Chinese CRS-HIPEC patient database at our institution. Patients were divided into two groups: surgery plus HIPEC (450) and surgery alone (200). A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed. The postoperative outcomes, mortality, and length of hospital stay were compared between the surgery plus HIPEC and CRS alone groups. Results Propensity scoring generated 162 pairs. There was no statistically significant difference in the 30-day mortality rate between the groups (0% vs 0%, P = 1.000), and the morbidity rates were similar in both groups (7.4% vs 8.0%, P = 0.835). The surgery plus HIPEC group had a longer operative time (247.81 ± 64.70 vs 184.55 ± 29.56, P ≤ 0.001) and a slightly longer postoperative hospital stay (14.64 ± 5.24 vs 12.59 ± 3.76, P ≤ 0.001). No other baseline characteristics were significantly different. Conclusions Surgery plus HIPEC is feasible for select patients and is associated with prolonged surgery times and prolonged hospital stays, and there is no significant difference in mortality rates or postoperative outcomes.