Impact of Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy on Quality of Life and Symptoms in Patients with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

<i>Background</i>. Peritoneal cancer treatment aims to prolong survival, but preserving Quality of Life (QoL) under treatment is also a priority. Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy (PIPAC) is a novel minimally invasive repeatable treatment modality. The aim of the present study was to assess QoL in our cohort of PIPAC patients. <i>Methods</i>. Analysis of all consecutive patients included from the start of PIPAC program (January 2015). QoL (0-100: optimal) and symptoms (no symptom: 0-100) were measured prospectively before and after every PIPAC procedure using EORTC QLQ-C30. <i>Results</i>. Forty-two patients (M : F = 8 : 34, median age 66 (59-73) years) had 91 PIPAC procedures in total (1 : 4x, 17 : 3x, 12 : 2x, and 12 : 1x). Before first PIPAC, baseline QoL was measured as median of 66 ± 2.64. Prominent complaints were fatigue (32 ± 4.3) and digestive symptoms as diarrhea (17 ± 3.75), constipation (17 ± 4.13), and nausea (7 ± 2.54). Overall Quality of Life was 64 ± 3.75 after PIPAC#1 (<i>p</i> = 0.57), 61 ± 4.76 after PIPAC#2 (<i>p</i> = 0.89), and 70 ± 6.67 after PIPAC#3 (<i>p</i> = 0.58). Fatigue symptom score was 44 ± 4.86 after PIPAC#1 and 47 ± 6.69 and 34 ± 7.85 after second and third applications, respectively (<i>p</i> = 0.40). Diarrhea (<i>p</i> = 0.31), constipation (<i>p</i> = 0.76), and nausea (<i>p</i> = 0.66) did not change significantly under PIPAC treatment. <i>Conclusion</i>. PIPAC treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis had no negative impact on patients' overall QoL and its components or on main symptoms. This study was registered online on Research Registry (UIN: 1608).