Symptomatic Malignant Melanoma of the Gastrointestinal Tract

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Abstract
Malignant melanoma involving the gastrointestinal tract is a common autopsy finding in patients who die with this disease. Melanoma metastatic to bowel infrequently causes symptoms. Some investigators suggest that survival following the onset of gastrointestinal symptoms is very poor and, as a result, surgical intervention to relieve symptoms should be avoided. The clinical courses of 15 consecutive patients with symptomatic malignant melanoma of the bowel who underwent resection alone or in combination with bypass of symptomatic intestinal lesions were reviewed. There were no deaths within 30 days of operation; 14 patients obtained relief of intestinal symptoms; 11 patients survived a mean of 7.9 mo. and 4 patients are alive 2, 7, 22 and 23 mo. after operation. Operations to treat symptomatic intestinal melanoma apparently provide reasonable palliation and survival for patients with this disease.