Acute complications of metastatic melanoma to the gastrointestinal tract

The gastrointestinal tract is a favoured site for metastatic melanoma. Complications such as obstruction, bleeding or perforation should be alleviated by surgery in order to improve the patient's condition for further systemic therapy. Six patients with melanoma involving the gastrointestinal tract are presented: 3 were operated upon for metastatic lesions in the small bowel causing intussusception, 2 patients were treated for perforation of the small bowel and 1 patient with massive bleeding from metastatic melanoma in the stomach underwent gastrectomy. Two of the patients are alive 6 months and 4 years respectively after these operations. The other 4 survived between 6 months and 2 years.