Challenges of Non-Therapeutic Laparotomy in Patients with Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Selected for Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND This study aimed to analyze the morbidity, mortality, and survival outcomes in patients with peritoneal surface malignancies who were initially considered candidates for cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) but were found to have unresectable disease, resulting in non-therapeutic exploratory laparotomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS We evaluated data from our referral center for the treatment of peritoneal surface malignancies between January 2008 and December 2022. Adverse events following non-therapeutic laparotomy were classified using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. RESULTS Among a cohort of 486 patients with peritoneal surface malignancies initially considered candidates for CRS + HIPEC, 46 cases (9.4%) were aborted due to the disease being deemed unresectable during exploratory laparotomy. The primary reasons for unresectability included extensive disease spread, observed in 28 patients, with massive small intestine involvement detected in 13 of these cases. The median duration of surgery was 90 minutes (range: 60–180 minutes). Postoperative complications occurred in 10 patients (22%), with a mortality rate of 4.3% (2 patients). Survival was significantly lower in patients who did not receive adjuvant systemic chemotherapy with palliative intent (4 months vs. 15 months, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION Exploratory laparotomy in patients with peritoneal surface malignancies considered for CRS with HIPEC carries a substantial risk of complications. Improved preoperative staging using advanced technologies such as radiomics and laparoscopy is expected to reduce the number of patients undergoing non-therapeutic laparotomy.