When it comes to ovarian cancer, intraperitoneal chemotherapy (or “belly bath” chemo) can allow for a higher dose of chemotherapy, so that more cancer cells can be killed. However, this type of chemo is difficult to administer — and it may not be offered at all cancer centers.
Belly-bath (IP) chemo is done by inserting a catheter into the patients' belly to deliver chemotherapy. The treatment, done post-operatively (meaning after someone’s ovarian cancer surgery), also includes some chemo being delivered through an IV. It allows for a higher dose of chemotherapy, so that more cancer cells can be killed. This type of targeted treatment is crucial for those cancers that are particularly difficult to treat. It’s not an ideal option for every woman with ovarian cancer, though. Patients who have been shown to reap the greatest benefit from belly-bath chemo are those who have had a surgery that has “optimally debulked” their ovarian cancer to under one centimeter. What this means is that, during their operation, their surgeon was able to remove–or “debulk”–their cancer so that the tumors left behind are no larger than one centimeter in diameter.
Read More
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.