What is pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy?

Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) is an experimental treatment for cancers that have spread to the lining of the abdominal cavity, known as the peritoneum. The term "intraperitoneal" means the treatment is delivered directly inside the abdominal cavity, where the cancer is located. For now, PIPAC is considered palliative, meaning that it's used to help manage symptoms, not to cure the cancer.

PIPAC is the delivery of chemotherapy as a pressurized mist directly into the abdomen during a minimally invasive surgery called laparoscopy. The pressure helps the medicine absorb into the cancer tissue and spread more evenly. Unlike other treatments, PIPAC does not include surgical removal of the cancer. PIPAC is repeated about every six weeks, while you remain on whole-body, also called systemic, chemotherapy.

PIPAC was first used to relieve symptoms in people whose cancer no longer responded to other treatments. Today, doctors are also studying whether it can help extend life in people with cancer or prevent cancer from returning.