Defining the Cytokine Storm – DECYST 01

Background: Recent data have described a survival advantage associated with the administration of hyperthermic intra-peritoneal chemotherapy(HIPEC) following complete cytoreductive surgery(CRS) in ovarian cancer(OC). It is unlikely that HIPEC administered as a single dose has sufficient direct cytotoxicity to account for the improved survival. We hypothesise that HIPEC improves outcome by aborting a surgery induced cytokine storm, thereby reducing the proliferative stimulus to residual tumour cells.