Between 2004 and 2007, 31 patients from 18 to 65 years with FIGO stage IIIC epithelial ovarian carcinoma were treated by surgery and a total of 6 cycles of platinum based chemotherapy. Those patients were eligible for consolidation therapy. We performed a second look laparotomy operation with intra-peritoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy. We used Oxaliplatin 460 mg/m2 with 2 l/m2 of dextrose in an open medial laparotomy for a total of 30 min at a temperature of 42–44 °C.
The grade 3 morbidity rate was 29 % (95 CI: 14–45 % ). Nine patients experienced a total of 13 exploratory laparotomies for intra-abdominal bleeding after HIPEC. Two-year disease free and overall survival were 27 % and 67 % respectively. As a result of this high level of morbidity the trial was closed.
Using intra-peritoneal Oxaliplatin associated with hyperthermia as consolidation therapy for advanced ovarian cancer results in a high risk of grade 3 morbidities with only a small benefit on survival.