Abstracts
1999 Digestive Disease Week

# 2181 EVALUATION OF SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING RESECTION OF METASTATIC MELANOMA TO THE ABDOMINAL VISCERA
Sancar Bayar, Ronald R Salem, Yale Univ Sch of Medicine, New Haven, CT

Introduction: Visceral organ metastasis of malignant melanoma is generally considered as incurable with an unfavourable prognosis, this study was carried out to investigate whether abdominal visceral metastasectomy leads to prolongation of survival and improvement in quality of life. Methods: From June 1980 to July 1998 sixteen patients underwent metastasectomy for metastatic melanoma to the abdominal viscera. Patients ranged in age from 21 to 76, there were 9 women and 7 men. Complete successful resection of the gross tumor was technically feasible in 10 patients, while 6 patients had only palliative resections. Results: Patients who had complete curative resection of all gross tumor had a mean survival time of 44.4 months, while those who had palliative resection only had a mean survival time of 6.1 months. Palliative resection was successfull in relieving symptoms in most cases. Operative mortality was zero for both palliative and curative resections. The longest survival after curative resection was achieved after a radical nephrectomy for a melanoma metastasis, and the patient is alive 17 years later. Conclusion: Abdominal visceral metastasectomy is based on a strict patient selection and is only advantageous in prolonging survival for those patients whose tumor tissue can be removed completely. Due to the low operative mortality, surgical palliation may be considered in patients whom the quality of life may be improved.

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