“When I had lost all hope, my friends and my doctor turned into angels for me,” shares Mr VK Sharma, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer 5 months back and was told that he has only few months left.
However thanks to a suggestion from a friend and the active work of Dr Vinay Samuel Gaikwad, Senior Consultant – Surgical Oncology, Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon today Mr VK Sharma has new hope and the assurance of a long life ahead.
Dr Vinay Samuel Gaikwad provided the specialized Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to the patient. According to Dr Vinay, “Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) after complete cytoreduction involves thorough removal of all visible cancer within the abdomen followed by circulation of a heated cytotoxic drug, which can kill microscopic tumour cells. This treatment modality is fast becoming the standard of care for selected patients who are fit for major surgery with particular cancer types. Some of the tumors in which HIPEC can be used are pseudomyxoma peritoneii, mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer.”
Dr. Vinay adds, “HIPEC is particularly useful for cancers which are not responding to chemotherapy or when there is limited disease spread within the abdomen. This form of treatment has been showing good results in the West for some time now and is demonstrating positive results in Indian patients for the last few years.”
At Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon HIPEC is routinely offered to patients who we are sure will benefit from this treatment option.
Dr Vinay, Senior Consultant – Surgical Oncology, Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon highlights the case of Mr VK Sharma and enumerates, “When Mr Sharma consulted us he told us his diagnoses and shared that he has been told that he has only few months to live. He had been diagnosed with stomach cancer and an operation was attempted to remove the tumor at another hospital, but was not possible. Since he was otherwise in a good physical condition, we first underwent chemotherapy and then underwent a PET scan to rule out disease spread. After we confirmed that we could safely and effectively perform this procedure, he underwent a surgery to remove the diseased stomach, lymph nodes, omentum and minimal peritoneal deposits. During the operation, we circulated hyperthermic chemotherapy within the abdominal cavity to ensure complete tumour control. Mr Sharma did exceptionally well after the surgery and went home on the 7th day after surgery in a natural state – all this, without a significant hole in his pocket. We are optimistic about his outcome and encourage more patients to be aware about this promising treatment for stubborn abdominal cancer.”
HIPEC is another success story in man’s fight against cancer. With a focus on progressive organ-specific oncology.
