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To evaluate the role of the hepatic perfusion in the assessment of the colorectal cancer.For this research 18 patients affected by colorectal cancer were enrolled. All the patients were submitted to the evaluation of the Doppler Perfusion Index (DPI) which represents the ratio of hepatic arterial to total liver blood flow.The correlation between the evaluation of the Doppler Perfusion Index and the occurrence of the liver metastases did not show false negative but has highlighted 6 false positive, achieved a good sensitivity and very low specificity.A review of the literature and the results obtained in our study suggest that DPI may be helpful in detection of hepatic metastases.

The evolution of loco-regional treatments has occurred in the last two decades and has deeply changed the natural history of primitive and secondary peritoneal surface malignancies. Several phase II-III studies have proved the effectiveness of the combination of cytoreductive surgery with peritoneal chemohyperthermia. Cytoreductive surgery allows the reduction of the neoplastic mass and increases tumoral chemosensitivity. The development of chemohyperthermia finds its origins in the necessity to exceed the limits of intraperitoneal chemotherapy performed in normothermia. It permits a continuous high concentration gradient of chemotherapeutic drugs between the peritoneal cavity and the plasma compartment to and a more uniform distribution throughout the abdominal cavity compared to systemic administration.