Abdominal CT
Computed tomography, CT scanBasic imaging test to assess the extent of the tumour and plan surgery. It tends to underestimate carcinomatosis made up of small implants.
Reviewed by Dr Juan José Torrent · Updated: 4 September 2026
Glossary of surgical oncology and peritoneal carcinomatosis
48 termsThe words that appear in a report or during a consultation, explained in plain language for patients and families. Search for a term, filter by area or browse by initial letter.
A
Adjuvant treatment
Treatment given after surgery to destroy any tumour cells that may remain and to reduce the risk of relapse. It is usually chemotherapy and, in some cases, radiotherapy or targeted therapy.
Anastomosis
Surgical join between two ends of bowel, or another conduit, after the diseased segment has been removed. When the join is not considered safe, it is protected temporarily with a stoma.
C
CC score
Completeness of CytoreductionScale that measures how much tumour remains at the end of cytoreductive surgery: CC-0 (no visible residue), CC-1 (nodules smaller than 2.5 mm), CC-2 and CC-3 (larger residue). Achieving CC-0 or CC-1 is the single most important prognostic factor.
Clavien-Dindo classification
International scale that grades postoperative complications according to the treatment they require, from grade I, which needs no intervention, to grade V. It allows results to be compared between centres objectively.
Cytoreductive surgery
CytoreductionOperation that removes every visible tumour implant from the abdomen, combining organ resections and peritonectomies. It is the backbone of treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis and is usually combined with HIPEC.
D
Diffusion-weighted MRI
DWI-MRIMagnetic resonance sequence particularly sensitive to small peritoneal implants. It provides information that CT does not always detect.
Disease-free survival
DFSTime that passes without signs of tumour after treatment carried out with curative intent.
E
EPIC
Early Postoperative Intraperitoneal ChemotherapyIntraperitoneal chemotherapy delivered through a catheter during the first days after surgery, without heat. It is used in selected cases, far less often than HIPEC.
ERAS
Enhanced Recovery After SurgeryProtocol of perioperative care (nutrition, early mobilisation, pain control without excess opioids) that shortens hospital stay and reduces complications after major abdominal surgery.
G
GIST
Gastrointestinal stromal tumourRare sarcoma of the digestive tract, with its own treatment combining surgery and targeted therapy. It can spread across the peritoneum.
H
HIPEC
Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapyChemotherapy heated to around 42 degrees and circulated through the abdomen at the end of cytoreductive surgery, to destroy the microscopic tumour cells that surgery cannot see.
I
Immunotherapy
Treatment that acts on the immune system so that it recognises and attacks the tumour. Its role depends on the tumour type and on specific markers, such as microsatellite instability.
Intraoperative radiotherapy
IORTSingle dose of radiotherapy applied directly to the tumour bed during the operation, protecting the surrounding healthy tissue.
L
Laparotomy
Open surgerySurgical approach through an incision in the abdominal wall. It remains the necessary route for extensive cytoreductions and multivisceral resections.
Liver metastases
Tumour deposits in the liver coming from another organ, most often the colon or rectum. Many are operable with curative intent, alone or combined with peritoneal surgery.
Liver resection
HepatectomyRemoval of the part of the liver involved by the tumour, preserving enough healthy volume for the organ to regenerate.
Lymphadenectomy
Removal of the lymph nodes in the tumour drainage territory, with both therapeutic and staging purposes.
M
Malignant ascites
Build-up of fluid in the abdominal cavity caused by tumour disease of the peritoneum. It produces distension, early satiety and breathlessness, and is one of the most frequent reasons for consultation in peritoneal carcinomatosis.
Multidisciplinary team meeting
Tumour boardMeeting in which surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and other specialists jointly decide each patient's treatment. In complex surgical oncology it is a quality requirement, not a formality.
N
Neoadjuvant treatment
Treatment given before surgery to shrink the tumour, treat microscopic disease and check how it responds to the drug.
O
Omentectomy
Removal of the omentum, the fatty apron hanging from the stomach and the colon. It is one of the first sites where peritoneal carcinomatosis settles, so it is resected systematically.
Oncovascular unit
Team able to resect tumours encasing major vessels and to reconstruct them, which widens operability in cases considered unresectable.
Overall survival
OSTime elapsed from diagnosis or treatment until death from any cause. It is the principal measure of efficacy in oncology studies.
P
PCI
Peritoneal Cancer Index, Sugarbaker indexScore from 0 to 39 that quantifies how much tumour there is in the abdomen and how it is distributed across thirteen regions. It is the reference for deciding whether a complete cytoreduction is achievable.
Pelvic exenteration
En bloc removal of the pelvic organs involved by the tumour, with the corresponding reconstruction. It is reserved for locally advanced or recurrent tumours, in high-volume centres.
Peritoneal carcinomatosis
Peritoneal metastasesSpread of a tumour across the membrane lining the abdomen, the peritoneum, in the form of multiple implants. It may originate in the colon, rectum, appendix, stomach, ovary, pancreas or the peritoneum itself.
Peritoneal implants
Peritoneal nodules, peritoneal seedingTumour deposits on the surface of the peritoneum. Their number, size and location determine the PCI and whether a complete cytoreduction is possible.
Peritoneal mesothelioma
Rare tumour that arises in the peritoneum itself. In its most common form, the reference treatment is complete cytoreduction combined with HIPEC.
Peritonectomy
Removal of the areas of peritoneum involved by the tumour. It may extend to the diaphragm, the pelvis or the paracolic gutters, depending on the map of the disease.
Peritoneum
Thin membrane lining the abdominal wall and the organs it contains. It is the starting point of peritoneal carcinomatosis and the compartment where HIPEC and PIPAC act.
PET-CT
Positron emission tomographyTest combining anatomical and metabolic imaging to detect active tumour foci. In peritoneal carcinomatosis it has limitations for small and mucinous implants.
PIPAC
Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapyAerosolised chemotherapy delivered by laparoscopy and repeatable over several sessions. It is indicated above all when the disease is too extensive for a complete cytoreduction.
Postoperative morbidity
The set of complications that may appear after surgery. In cytoreduction with HIPEC it is reported in standardised form using the Clavien-Dindo classification.
Prehabilitation
Physical, nutritional and psychological preparation in the weeks before major surgery, aimed at reaching theatre in better condition and recovering sooner.
Pseudomyxoma peritonei
Rare disease in which the abdomen fills with mucinous material, almost always starting from a tumour of the appendix. Its reference treatment is complete cytoreduction with HIPEC.
R
R0, R1, R2 (resection)
Classification of the surgical margin: R0 no tumour at the edges, R1 microscopic involvement and R2 visible residual tumour. It differs from the CC score, which assesses the whole abdomen.
Recurrence
RelapseReappearance of the disease after a period of control. In peritoneal carcinomatosis it may be peritoneal, distant or mixed, and it does not always rule out further surgery.
Retroperitoneal sarcoma
Tumour of connective tissue origin growing in the posterior space of the abdomen. It requires en bloc surgery and teams with specific experience.
Robotic surgery
Minimally invasive surgery performed with robotic arms controlled by the surgeon, with three-dimensional vision and greater precision in narrow spaces such as the pelvis. It is used above all in rectal and colon cancer.
S
Salvage surgery
Rescue surgeryOperation indicated when previous treatment, surgical or oncological, has failed to control the disease or has left sequelae. It requires teams experienced in complex reconstruction.
Second opinion
Review of the diagnosis and treatment plan by a team other than the one that proposed it. It is especially relevant when a tumour has been described as inoperable.
Staging
Process of establishing the true extent of a tumour before treating it, using imaging, tumour markers and, in peritoneal carcinomatosis, laparoscopy. A correct surgical indication depends on it.
Staging laparoscopy
Diagnostic laparoscopyExamination of the abdomen with a camera, through millimetre incisions, to see the true extent of peritoneal carcinomatosis and take biopsies before deciding on treatment.
Stoma
Ostomy, colostomy, ileostomyOpening of the bowel onto the abdominal wall to divert transit into a bag. It may be temporary, to protect an anastomosis while it heals, or permanent.
Systemic chemotherapy
Drug treatment given intravenously or orally that acts throughout the body. It is complementary to, not an alternative to, therapies directed at the peritoneum.
T
TNM
International system that classifies tumours according to size and local invasion (T), lymph node involvement (N) and the presence of distant metastases (M).
Tumour markers
CEA, CA 19-9, CA 125Substances measurable in blood that give an indication of a tumour's activity and of its response to treatment. They cannot diagnose on their own and must be interpreted alongside imaging and clinical findings.
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This glossary is intended as general information: it helps in understanding a report or a conversation with the medical team, but it does not replace a specialist assessment of an individual case.
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