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Selecting your Specialist

Currently, no objective criteria exist to determine what constitutes a “specialist” in the treatment of pseudomyxoma peritonei and peritoneal surface malignancies.
 
Therefore, the PMP Research Foundation does not recommend any particular specialists nor have we created a list of recommended specialists. However, we have provided some suggestions and resources below to assist you in your search.
 
When searching for a specialist to treat PMP, patients should be aware that research studies have concluded that centers offering the CRS/HIPEC procedure reach the peak of the learning curve only after the center has completed 130 - 140 procedures. A patient searching for a specialist to treat PMP or a related disease may want to inquire as to how many CRS/HIPEC procedures a specialist under consideration has performed, along with many of the other questions listed on our Questions for Specialists page.
 
 
  • Read his/her resume: is his/her training, areas of interest and experience in line with what you are looking for?
  • Is the facility respected, especially for specialty cancers?
  • Has he/she performed a significant number of cytoreductive surgeries (at least 130+) related to the treatment of PMP/PSMs?
  • Are outcome reports available telling prospective patients how prior patients are doing?
  • How does the treatment recommendation from the specialist compare with that of other specialists? A patient may want to consider consultations with at least 2 or 3 recognized specialists in the field before selecting a physician for treatment.

Resources for Selecting a Specialist

Many resources exist to assist patients in finding a physician with experience in treating PMP and PSMs.

The recently created American Society for Peritoneal Surface Malignancies (ASPSM) lists several recognized experts in the field as members; however, patients should be aware that the criteria for membership in the organization are not publicly available.

Several of the recognized leaders in the field present at and attend the biannual International Workshop on Peritoneal Surface Malignancy. The Eighth International Workshop on Peritoneal Surface Malignancy will take place in Berlin, Germany on October 31 – November 2, 2012. The websites for the previous three workshops are listed below:

Seventh International Workshop on Peritoneal Surface Malignancy (2010)

Sixth International Workshop on Peritoneal Surface Malignancy (2008)

Fifth International Workshop on Peritoneal Surface Malignancy (2006)

The PMPRF Professional Advisory Board consists of recognized experts in the treatment of pseudomyxoma peritonei and peritoneal surface malignancies as determined by a review of each PAB member’s membership application and curriculum vitae by the PMPRF Board of Directors.

Several websites listed on our Helpful Links page contain their own specialist lists. When reviewing these lists please keep in mind that there are no uniform criteria used to determine what constitutes a “specialist”. Our “Considerations when Selecting a Specialist” section provides some suggestions on how to conduct your search.