ASO Author Reflections: Financial Toxicity and CRS-HIPEC—Is a Pound of Debt Worth an Ounce of Cure?

Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) is a resource-intensive procedure that is associated with long operative times, lengthy hospitalizations, and considerable morbidity. As a result, CRS-HIPEC is expensive, with prior studies estimating the total cost to be in the range of $38,369–$49,248.^1,2 Although the financial impact of surgery on patients, termed financial toxicity, has been studied in the context of various oncologic procedures, there have been no studies investigating financial toxicity among patients undergoing CRS-HIPEC.³ We examined the incidence and risk factors for financial toxicity in this patient population. …