Fungating carcinoma of the stomach: en bloc multiple organ resection and abdominal wall reconstruction

A patient with carcinoma of the stomach invading multiple adjacent organs and fungating through the anterior abdominal wall was treated by en bloc multiple organ resection and abdominal wall reconstruction. The patient is alive and well at the time of writing, six months after the operation. The rationale for embarking on multiple organ resection for gastric cancer is discussed. However, such an aggressive surgical approach should only be applied to carefully selected patients who are medically fit and have no evidence of widespread systemic metastases.