My mother was diagnosed with primary peritoneal carcinomatosis. For ages it was unknown primary source, but eventually they gave it the peritoneal moniker (although just where it originated from is still unknown).
For all intents and purposes, doctors treat this disease the same as Ovarian (although the ovaries are free of visible cancer).
Since she has been responding well to chemotherapy, she was referred to a surgeon who has scheduled cytoreductive surgery, which I believe is synonymous with "debulking".
The surgery sounds brutal. My friend's mother, who in an unhappy coincidence had the same diagnosis this year, had the surgery with some serious complications, including near renal failure and several returns to the hospital.
The surgeon says these complications are rare, but there is no proof that the surgery will help her. I am so confused.
Has anyone in this community had know anyone who had cytoreductive surgery? How did they fare?

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