Significance and management of local recurrences and limited metastatic disease in the abdomen

The management of patients with synchronous or metachronous metastatic carcinoma, sarcoma, or melanoma in the abdomen requires a knowledge of the natural history of the disease and of the available treatment options. Patients with advanced malignant disease may be of marginal performance status yet may require large surgical procedures or combined modality therapy; the most challenging therapeutic decisions involve such patients. The authors highlight the role of surgery in selected patients with metastatic or recurrent malignancy as it is practiced at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.