Can HIPEC be used against platinum-resistance and for inducing sensitivity to PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer?

Abstract

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has emerged as a main comprehensive treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Despite much criticism to this approach, HIPEC has shown cost-effective benefits in both progression-free survival and overall survival for high tumor burden with no important impairment on patient-reported quality of life. On the other hand, the landscape of EOC treatment is changing rapidly and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) currently play an important role in the management of EOC based on recent trials. At this point, an important question to be scrutinized is what to expect from up-front HIPEC in the era of amazing benefits by the PARPi. Herein, we discuss the promising role of combining PARPi and HIPEC in the management of advanced EOC