A Meta-Analysis on the Long-Term Impact of Cytoreductive Surgery Plus HIPEC for Ovarian Cancer with Peritoneal Metastasis: Are We on the Right Path?

Background: The benefit of adding hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to cytoreductive surgery (CRS) in ovarian cancer with peritoneal metastasis remains debated outside selected indications. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify survival, perioperative morbidity, and completeness of cytoreduction using study-level data. Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science were searched. Eligible English-language studies included ovarian cancer patients undergoing CRS plus HIPEC and reported at least one of the following: overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), Grade III–IV complications, or CC-0 rate. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted using inverse-variance pooling. For HR outcomes, DerSimonian–Laird τ2 with Hartung–Knapp confidence intervals was applied. Proportions were pooled using logit transformation (PLOGIT) with random-effects models. Results: Twelve studies (n = 567) were included. Only two studies provided extractable HRs for OS and PFS (n = 217). CRS plus HIPEC was associated with improved OS (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.52–0.90, p = 0.0023; I2 = 0%; prediction interval 0.14–3.34) and improved PFS (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.31–1.57, p = 0.0007; I2 = 0%; prediction interval 0.18–2.66). Across 12 studies (n = 563), the pooled Grade III–IV complication rate was 0.18 (95% CI 0.14–0.22; I2 = 16.3%; prediction interval 0.12–0.26). In 10 studies (n = 385), the pooled CC-0 rate was 0.87 (95% CI 0.79–0.92; I2 = 46.7%; prediction interval 0.66–0.96). Conclusions: CRS plus HIPEC shows a favorable signal for OS and PFS in the limited HR-eligible evidence and appears feasible, with a pooled severe complication rate of ~18% and high CC-0 rates. Current data support HIPEC primarily as a targeted intensification strategy in carefully selected patients, while broader adoption requires additional randomized, context-specific evidence.