Hyperthermic Intrathoracic Chemotherapy (HITHOC) is a specialised intraoperative procedure used in the management of advanced thymomas, particularly those with pleural dissemination - a pattern of dis.....
Hyperthermic Intrathoracic Chemotherapy (HITHOC) is a specialised intraoperative procedure used in the management of advanced thymomas, particularly those with pleural dissemination - a pattern of disease spread where tumour deposits seed the pleural surfaces and cannot be fully resected by conventional surgery alone. The technique involves surgically removing all visible tumour from the pleural cavity (cytoreductive surgery), then circulating a heated chemotherapy solution directly through the chest cavity for 60 to 90 minutes before closure. Heat potentiates the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin against residual microscopic disease, while the direct intracavitary delivery achieves drug concentrations far higher than intravenous administration could safely sustain. Medanta is one of a very small number of centres in India to offer HITHOC as a standard surgical option, and it is integrated into a comprehensive thymoma treatment pathway that includes preoperative staging, multidisciplinary tumour board review, and long-term oncological follow-up.
