From inoperable cancer to free of the disease 3 hours ago Alastair Fee South of England health correspondent University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Caroline Ainslie underwent a pioneering treatment A former nurse who was told she had inoperable cancer has been declared free of the disease after receiving a pioneering chemotherapy treatment. Caroline Ainslie, 60, from Southampton, was diagnosed with stage-four ovarian cancer in March after the disease spread to her liver, lungs and other parts of her body. However, she responded well to initial treatment and became one of the first ovarian cancer patients at University Hospital Southampton to receive hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).
Her consultant said she was now tumour free and expected to fully recover and go on to lead a normal life. Caroline's diagnosis could not have been worse. "I had cancer in my ovary, it was also in my liver and in my lung, so I felt completely and utterly shocked and devastated because I had cancer pretty much everywhere," she said.
"I just thought that was it, I was a going to die, and I didn't have very much life left. "I thought I would be dead within a year - it was devastating, absolutely devastating." Caroline was treated by surgeon David Constable-Phelps at University Hospital Southampton Caroline responded so well to an initial round of chemotherapy, her consultant David Constable-Phelps suggested she undergo a pioneering treatment that involves pouring heated chemotherapy into the body after her cancerous tumours were removed. Constable-Phelps, a consultant gynaecologist and gynaecological oncology surgeon at University Hospital Southampton, said: "HIPEC is essentially us putting chemotherapy into a carrier solution inside the abdomen.
"Once we've finished the operation and once we've achieved complete clearance of the disease, that solution is heated to 42C (107F) and we circulate that for 90 minutes using a HIPEC machine. "So that is circulating for 90 minutes to mop up any cancer cells that might remain that are microscopic that of course we can't see with the naked eye." Caroline's treatment was complicated. The operation took 12 hours – but it was a huge success.
Constable-Phelps said: "It's fantastic. She is currently tumour free. "I would expect her to fully recover from the operation and have no life-limiting symptoms from the surgery or the chemotherapy and she should go on and lead her life as normal." David Constable-Phelps carried out the 12-hour procedure at University Hospital Southampton Caroline, who previously worked at University Hospital Southampton as a divisional head of nursing, said: "At this moment in time I am cancer free and I am absolutely delighted about that.
"It's surreal really because I never would have imagined that I would be in this position, and I'm incredibly grateful to the people who have operated on me and cared for me." Ovarian cancer is often called a silent killer because its early signs are vague and easily mistaken for common digestive or menstrual issues. Key warning signs include persistent bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, feeling full quickly while eating, and a frequent or urgent need to urinate. These symptoms are considered silent not because they do not exist, but because they are subtle and often progress before a definitive diagnosis is made.
It is the sixth most common cancer in women, with about 7,500 diagnosed in the UK each year. Around two-thirds of cases are diagnosed at a late stage, when treatment options can be more limited, and the disease claims more than 4,000 lives annually. Surgery at University Hospital Southampton using a pioneering treatment known as hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).
Since establishing its HIPEC service in 2022, UHS has become a national leader in the treatment, recently completing its 50th procedure on patients with a range of different cancers and placing it among the most experienced centres in the UK. Caroline said: "Hopefully my story inspires other people to realise that actually having a cancer diagnosis does not mean the end of your life. "It certainly changes it, but there is a great deal of hope in the future because of the advances in treatments." She is now recovering from surgery and will undergo two further rounds of chemotherapy, while continuing to be monitored closely as part of her follow-up care. 'Transforming lives' Caroline is now building up her fitness and to celebrate being told she is cancer free she has just booked a ski holiday for next year.
With growing evidence supporting its use in selected patients, more NHS cancer centres are exploring the introduction of HIPEC treatment. While this case involved ovarian cancer, the treatment is also used for selected patients with other cancers that have spread within the abdomen, including bowel and appendix cancers. The introduction of HIPEC at University Hospital Southampton was made possible through a donation from Hampshire-based PLANETS Cancer Charity, helping to expand treatment options for patients with ovarian and other cancers.
Neil Pearce, chairman of PLANETS and a retired consultant liver and pancreatic surgeon, said: "We are extremely proud to have been able to fund the use of this revolutionary cancer treatment at UHS, and stories such as Caroline's demonstrate the impact the charity and all our supporters have in saving and transforming lives." More on this story Related internet links
Source: BBC
