The role of cytology in patients undergoing pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis.
Mélina Deban, Julien Châtelain, François Fasquelle, Daniel Clerc, Laura Toussaint, Martin Hübner, Hugo Teixeira Farinha
Author Information
Mélina Deban: Department of Visceral Surgery, Faculty of Biology and Medicine UNIL, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Julien Châtelain: Department of Visceral Surgery, Faculty of Biology and Medicine UNIL, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
François Fasquelle: Faculty of Biology and Medicine UNIL, Institute of pathology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Daniel Clerc: Department of Visceral Surgery, Faculty of Biology and Medicine UNIL, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland. ORCID
Laura Toussaint: Department of Visceral Surgery, Faculty of Biology and Medicine UNIL, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Martin Hübner: Department of Visceral Surgery, Faculty of Biology and Medicine UNIL, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Hugo Teixeira Farinha: Department of Visceral Surgery, Faculty of Biology and Medicine UNIL, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Objectives: Cytology of ascites or peritoneal washing is a routine part of staging of peritoneal metastases (PM). We aim to determine value of cytology in patients undergoing pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC). Methods: Single-center retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients having PIPAC for PM of different primary between January 2015 and January 2020. Results: A total of 75 patients (median 63 years (IQR 51-70), 67 % female) underwent a total of 144 PIPAC. At PIPAC 1 59 % patients had positive and 41 % patients had negative cytology. patients with negative and positive cytology only differed in terms of symptoms of ascites (16% vs. 39 % respectively, p=0.04), median ascites volume (100 vs. 0 mL, p=0.01) and median PCI (9 vs. 19, p<0.01). Among 20 patients who completed 3 PIPACs (per protocol), cytology changed in one from positive to negative, and in two from negative to positive. Median overall survival was 30.9 months in the per protocol group and 12.9 months in patients having <3 PIPACs (=0.519). Conclusions: Positive cytology under PIPAC treatment is more frequently encountered in patients with higher PCI and symptomatic ascites. Cytoversion was rarely observed and cytology status had no impact on treatment decisions in this cohort.
