On 30 October 2026, patients, carers, healthcare professionals and leading specialists will come together for the first International Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Awareness Day, an initiative dedicated to increasing understanding of peritoneal cancers and highlighting advances in diagnosis, treatment and research.

To mark the occasion, French patient association AMARAPE is organising an online roundtable featuring international experts in peritoneal malignancies.

The event will take place on Friday, 30 October at 18:00 CET and will give participants the opportunity to hear directly from specialists and ask questions.

Understanding peritoneal cancers

The peritoneum is a thin membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and covers many of the organs within it.

Cancer can affect the peritoneum in different ways. In many cases, cancer cells spread there from another cancer, including colorectal, gastric or ovarian cancer. Rarer cancers can also originate in the peritoneum itself, including peritoneal mesothelioma and pseudomyxoma peritonei.

Because these diseases are uncommon and can be complex to diagnose and treat, access to specialised multidisciplinary expertise is particularly important.

Bringing international expertise together

The AMARAPE roundtable will feature:

Professor Olivier Glehen, Digestive and Surgical Oncology, Lyon Sud Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon

Professor Marc Pocard, Digestive Surgery, AP HP Paris

Dr Naoual Bakrin, Gynaecological Surgeon, Lyon Sud Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon

The discussion will cover current management of peritoneal cancers, ongoing research and recent international recommendations.

It will also explore the PSOGI, ESGO and ISSPP Lyon Consensus, published in The Lancet Oncology in 2026, which provides international consensus principles for cytoreductive surgery in primary and metastatic peritoneal malignancies.

Specialised care and emerging approaches

AMARAPE works closely with RENAPE, the French national network dedicated to rare peritoneal tumours.

The network brings together specialist centres and multidisciplinary teams working to improve diagnosis, treatment and research.

Depending on the type and extent of disease and the individual patient, specialist management may include cytoreductive surgery, sometimes combined with HIPEC, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Other approaches, including PIPAC, pressurised intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy, may be considered or investigated in selected situations.

Specialist multidisciplinary teams experienced in managing peritoneal malignancies should always make treatment decisions.

Supporting research and patients

Run entirely by volunteers, AMARAPE also supports research to improve understanding and treatment of peritoneal diseases.

Projects supported by the organisation include work on artificial intelligence to improve diagnosis, immunotherapy, and the EXPOSOME project, which investigates how environmental exposures and lifestyle factors may influence disease development and progression.

According to AMARAPE, 80% of donations go directly to research and patient support.

The organisation also connects patients and families with reliable information and specialist expertise.

As Adeline Campagnola, President of AMARAPE, explains:

“The bond between our members and healthcare professionals is unique and, in my view, essential.”

Professor Olivier Glehen, Chairman of AMARAPE’s Scientific Committee, adds:

“AMARAPE plays a vital role as a bridge between healthcare professionals and patients who need information and support beyond what clinical care alone can provide.”

Join the online roundtable

Friday, 30 October 2026
18:00 CET
Online

Find more information and details on how to join at www.amarape.com.

The roundtable will also be available afterwards on the AMARAPE YouTube channel.

By bringing patients, healthcare professionals, and researchers together, International Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Awareness Day aims to increase visibility of these rare diseases and improve access to information, expertise, and support.

Author:

Ruel Jacob