BACKGROUND: Intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion (IPHP) has been introduced in clinical practice to improve the survival of cancer patients. But despite of this advantage, postoperative hepatic dysfunction may occur more severely after IPHP than general anesthesia. The protective mechanism of liver is destroyed by hyperthermia as the result. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion on the postoperative liver function in cancer patients. METHODS: Sixty patients with ovarian cancer were divided into two groups; 30 patients undergone only radical hysterectomy (control group), and 30 patients undergone radical hysterectomy combined with IPHP (IPHP group). Anesthesia was performed with enflurane-N2O-O2 in both groups. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and albumin levels were evaluated before anesthesia, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14th days after surgery on both groups. RESULTS: Postoperative SGOT levels were increased on 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14th days in both groups, and on 1, 3 and 5 days postoperatively were increased more significantly in IPHP group than control group, but there were no significant difference between both groups after post-operative 7 days. SGPT levels were increased more significantly on 1, 3 and 5 days postoperatively in IPHP group than control group. Albumin levels were decreased more significantly on 1 and 3 days postoperatively in IPHP group than control group. CONCLUSION: We consider that postoperative liver function in cancer patients is influenced by the intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion.