“I wanted to contribute to the progress of the innovation of cancer treatment, Alex Kim, MD, PhD, says of his career choices. Kim — a James surgical oncologist who specializes in treating patients with gastrointestinal cancer — specializes in the use of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC) at the OSUCCC – James. HIPEC is a complicated procedure in which heated chemotherapy is injected into patients as part of surgeries to remove metastatic tumors. Kim shares more details about HIPEC and its impact on cancer treatment on our Cancer-Free World Podcast. Listen via the video player above or on Soundcloud. HIPEC, Kim explains, is used most often to treat colorectal cancers that have spread to the stomach. “First, we surgically remove any visible tumors that are within the belly cavity,” he says. “However, we know there can still be some cancer cells.” To kill those remaining cells, the heated, liquid chemotherapy is injected using a catheter and profusion device. Heating the chemotherapy allows the anti-tumor agents to better penetrate the outer cellular membranes of cancer cells. HIPEC, a complicated surgery only performed at leading cancer centers, has extended the lives of many patients. Kim believes further innovation will continue to add to that number. “We need to better understand the process of how cancer progresses and metastasizes.”