Impact of Cytoreductive Surgery with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Gastric Cancer with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Despite promising results, the effectiveness of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with gastric cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis (GCPC) has not been systematically evaluated. The aim of this systematic review is to compare the survival, complications and risk of recurrence between CRS + HIPEC versus CRS alone in GCPC. A systematic review was performed in MEDLINE and Web of Science according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Primary studies with patients with GCPC older than 18 years were included. Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies (MINORS) criteria were used to assess the quality of the studies. We performed random-effects meta-analysis of risk ratios (RR). We assessed heterogeneity using the I2 statistic. Five studies were included in the qualitative and four in the quantitative analysis. The overall survival (OS) rate after 1 year was 3.65 times higher for CRS + HIPEC than CRS alone [RR = 3.65, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.01–13.26, I2 = 73%]. The OS rate after 5 years was more than three times higher for CRS + HIPEC than for CRS alone (RR = 3.25, 95% CI = 1.28–8.26, I2 = 8%). No significant differences between CRS + HIPEC and CRS alone related to complications were found (RR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.83–1.33, I2 = 0%). The risk of peritoneal recurrence was significantly lower for CRS + HIPEC than for CRS alone (RR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.11–0.48, I2 = 40%). The results may be associated with some information or indication bias. Results should be analysed cautiously given the detected heterogeneity and limitations of included studies. However, treatment with CRS + HIPEC seems to increase the survival of patients with GCPC, more than treatment with CRS alone, decrease the risk of peritoneal recurrence and not be associated with more complications.