Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy is a minimally invasive catheter-based technique that uses a long-term use intra-abdominal port to deliver high doses of chemotherapy directly into the abdominal cavity of appropriate patients with advanced ovarian cancer. In combination with conventional intraveneous chemotherapy, IP chemotherapy allows for longer exposure times and higher doses of chemotherapy to be given over time. Although there can be a higher risk of side effects and toxicity, the combined approach of IP and IV chemotherapy extends overall survival for women with advanced ovarian cancer by about one year compared to intravenous delivery alone.
Although it is an excellent option for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer, IP chemotherapy is not offered at all cancer treatment centers.
Drs. Jonathan Boone, Larry C Kilgore and Kristopher J Kimball at University Gynecologic Oncology offer intraperitoneal chemotherapy for appropriate patients at the University of Tennessee Medical Center Cancer Institute in Knoxville, TN.