Introducing the University of Minnesota’s PIPAC Program

A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, especially for patients who are told that their disease can’t be completely removed surgically. However, for selected patients whose cancer has spread to the peritoneum (the thin lining covering the abdominal organs and abdominal wall), such as patients with colorectal or appendiceal cancer, the University of Minnesota has introduced a new treatment option offering hope.

The University first introduced PIPAC as a treatment option in the spring of 2026. PIPAC, which stands for pressurized intraperitoneal aerosolized chemotherapy, is a way of delivering chemotherapy directly to the cancer that has spread to the lining of the abdomen, rather than relying exclusively on medication traveling through the bloodstream. 

Using a minimally invasive surgical procedure, surgeons insert a small camera and instruments through tiny incisions and deliver chemotherapy as a fine, pressurized mist throughout the abdominal cavity. The goal is to distribute the medication across the areas affected by cancer and allow it to penetrate the tumor deposits.

Unlike traditional surgery, PIPAC does not involve removing the cancer. Instead, it’s designed to treat the disease locally and may be repeated as part of a patient’s overall cancer treatment plan. It’s a new and minimally invasive approach to treat advanced cancers, and care teams are still learning which patients benefit most.

As a leading academic medicine institution, the University is uniquely positioned to evaluate innovative therapies such as PIPAC and to expand options for people with advanced colorectal and other cancers involving the peritoneum. 

“At the University of Minnesota, our priority is to evaluate outcomes rigorously, including treatment safety, tumor response, symptom control, quality of life, and the ability to continue other cancer treatments. Our experience and results should be reported using our own institutional data as those data become available,” said Professor and Colon & Rectal Surgery Division Chief Dr. Wolfgang Gaertner.

The Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery is contributing to the evidence that guides care nationally by collecting high-quality outcomes data, participating in collaborative studies, and being transparent about PIPAC’s successes and limitations. 

“Ultimately, the measure of success will not be how many procedures we perform. It will be whether we can help the right patients live longer, feel better, and have access to meaningful treatment options that they might not otherwise have had,” said Dr. Gaertner.

Access to PIPAC remains limited, with only a small number of U.S. cancer centers offering the treatment. Patients who come to the University of Minnesota for PIPAC benefit from a collaborative team that considers the full range of available options rather than approaching PIPAC in isolation. The care team also brings an academic commitment to research, outcomes evaluation, and the training of future generations of colorectal surgeons.

“PIPAC is part of a broader philosophy of care at the University of Minnesota: combining a strong surgical tradition with multidisciplinary decision-making, innovation, research, and compassion. That combination of experience and patient-centered care is what defines our division and what we hope to bring to every patient we treat,” said Dr. Gaertner.

For more information on cancer care treatment options at the University of Minnesota, please visit the Masonic Cancer Center.