Meet the Experts

Dr. John Diaz

Gynecologic Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute

Videos

Gastrointestinal Tumors and HIPEC

Dr. Omar Llaguna, Oncologic Surgeon with Miami Cancer Institute, explains there are some gastrointestinal tumors that can benefit from intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), because they tend to be tumors that do not spread to other organs. Dr. John Diaz, Gynecologic Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, says one of the advantages of HIPEC is that they are able to give a much higher dose directly into the cavity and it would be nearly impossible to get the same dose if you are giving chemotherapy through the veins.

Cancer Treatment: HIPEC

Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) can treat ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, appendix cancer, mesothelioma, peritoneal cancer, stomach or gastric cancer, and other locally advanced cancers in the abdomen. Dr. John Diaz, Gynecologic Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, explains the patients that are best candidates for this treatment are those who have a disease limited to the peritoneal cavity.

Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

Dr. John Diaz, Gynecologic Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, explains intraperitoneal chemotherapy is what happens when they take patients to the operating room, they get all of the cancer out and give the patients the chemotherapy. "We distend their abdomen, we circulate the chemotherapy, we heat it about to 43 degrees Celsius and a circulation goes on for 90 minutes." He also says the benefits of cancer surgery is to remove all of the disease and they want to capitalize on it by giving chemotherapy at that moment.

HIPEC: Surgeon Preparation

Dr. Omar Llaguna, Oncologic Surgeon with Miami Cancer Institute, explains intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) procedure is a team approach. "We will sit down to review the imaging and to make sure we are on the same page." He points out they will review the pathology and have a multidisciplinary tool board. Dr. John Diaz, Gynecologic Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, says there are different types of patients, those who are well educated and able to find good resources on the internet, and others that never heard about the HIPEC and are very excited so they need to explain the benefits and the risks of this procedure.

Innovative Treatment In Fertility Preservation

Dr. John Diaz, Gynecologic Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, explains the innovations in fertility preservation treatments for women in an early stage cervical cancer. With this treatment, women retain their own uterus and carry their own child in the future for fertility preservation. Elina Melik-Levine, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner at the same place, says every patient's procedure is different, because their anatomy is different, their biology is different.

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