# What is HIPEC, and which cancers is it used for?

Source: https://oncologyistanbul.com/answers/what-is-hipec
Last updated: 2026-07-23

HIPEC — hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy — is a procedure in which warmed anticancer drugs are circulated inside the abdomen, usually right after cytoreductive surgery has removed the visible tumors, to kill cancer cells remaining in the lining of the abdomen. The National Cancer Institute associates it with peritoneal-surface disease from appendix, colorectal, ovarian and stomach cancers and from peritoneal mesothelioma. It is a major operation offered only to carefully selected patients at specialized centers with experienced surgical-oncology teams — not something every hospital that treats cancer does. Whether it fits a particular case, and where it is genuinely performed well, is decided by the treating team, and the center and its case volume should be confirmed directly with a named, state-authorized facility.

## Verify at
- [NCI Dictionary — hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy](https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/hyperthermic-intraperitoneal-chemotherapy) — National Cancer Institute (NCI) (checked 2026-07-23)

Related: [HIPEC in Turkey](https://oncologyistanbul.com/hipec-treatment-turkey)