Following the liver, the peritoneum (the thin lining of the abdominal cavity) is the second most common site for colorectal cancer spread. Unfortunately, when colorectal cancer spreads to the peritoneum, patient outcomes have traditionally been very poor.
In recent years, a combined surgical and chemotherapy technique has been developed and approved by NICE. It involves cytoreductive surgery (CRS), with or without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), which delivers chemotherapy directly into the abdominal cavity. For suitable patients, this treatment can be life-extending and, in some cases, curative.
While this treatment was routinely available across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, there had historically been no treatment centre in Wales. This meant that eligible patients in Wales faced significant barriers to access, with many either being unable to access treatment or having to travel to centres in England.
In May 2022, Moondance Cancer Initiative funded the establishment of the All-Wales Colorectal Peritoneal Metastasis Service. The service was established by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, with guidance from clinical and managerial teams at the world-leading Peritoneal Malignancy Institute in Basingstoke.
Our funding enabled the team in Cardiff to build the clinical expertise, infrastructure and evidence needed to safely provide this specialist treatment in Wales for the first time. It supported the development of a dedicated multidisciplinary team with expertise in colorectal peritoneal malignancy, a national referral pathway, and consistent MDT review for patients from across Wales.
The funding also enabled the team to gather the clinical, operational and financial evidence needed to demonstrate that this specialist service could be delivered safely, effectively and affordably within NHS Wales.
The service has now developed into a national centre of expertise, receiving referrals from every Health Board in Wales and delivering outcomes comparable with leading centres elsewhere in the UK and Europe. Patients who would previously have faced major barriers to treatment can now be assessed and, where suitable, treated in Wales.
The service transitioned to NHS funding arrangements in April 2026 with no interruption to referrals or treatment provision. Eligible patients from across Wales continue to be referred to the specialist team in Cardiff and assessed through the national MDT, ensuring access to this treatment remains fair and consistent regardless of where they live.
Further information about the service, including details on referral, is available on the dedicated Cardiff and Vale University Health Board webpage here: https://cavuhb.nhs.wales/our-services/all-wales-colorectal-peritoneal-metastasis-service/ .
Please note we do not have access to individual patient cases and cannot facilitate meetings between patients and clinicians.