title: Surgery for abdominal metastases of cutaneous melanoma.
abstract: The objective of this study was to support our hypothesis that surgical resection of abdominal metastases of melanoma, regardless of symptomatology, could provide prolonged palliation and improved survival. We performed a retrospective chart review at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. A series of 251 melanoma patients (stages I, II, or III at registration) who developed intraabdominal metastases during follow-up were studied. Altogether, 96 patients underwent 119 laparotomies; 51 underwent endoscopic or percutaneous procedures; and 116 patients were treated medically. Surgery was associated with a median survival of 11 months, significantly longer than that with other treatment (p < 0.001). Tumor was extirpated during 37% of the first laparotomies, and in an additional 33% very good palliation was achieved with incomplete resection. Tumor extirpation was associated with 10-month symptom-free survival (SFS), significantly longer than that with any other approach (p < 0.0001). In the nonsurgically treated patients, good palliation was achieved in 8% to 17% of patients with no complete response. The median SFS after surgery was 5 months, but 23% of patients were symptom-free more than 12 months; 87 patients with minimal symptoms; and 72 severely symptomatic patients underwent surgery. Complete resection was feasible in 42% and 34%, respectively. Surgery was associated with 12 months median survival in both groups. There was a significant survival benefit from surgery in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) tract metastases in contrast to those who had non-GI metastases. For the 96 surgically treated patients, a time interval of more than 4 years between diagnosis of the primary lesion and the abdominal recurrence predicted decreased risk of death (p = 0.038). The 30-day postoperative complication and mortality rates were 19.0% and 3.3%, respectively. Complete surgical resection of melanoma metastases in the abdomen is associated with median and symptom-free survival benefits. Symptomatic and asymptomatic patients benefit equally, especially if abdominal metastases appear more than 4 years after the initial diagnosis and do not involve non-GI viscera. Less than complete resection can provide durable palliation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. hgutman@clalit.org.il
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gutman
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kokotsakis
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: V F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Guinee
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Balch
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D016019:Survival Analysis