Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Melanoma Metastatic to the Colon

Case Series and Review of the Literature With Outcome Analysis

  • Published:
Diseases of the Colon & Rectum

Abstract

PURPOSE: Symptomatic melanoma of the colon is rare. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, presenting signs and symptoms, and survival correlation. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all patients treated in Mayo Clinic facilities from 1960 to 2000 for primary and metastatic melanoma. We identified 24 patients with metastatic melanoma to the colon. RESULTS: There were 24 patients (14 males) with an average age of 60.4 years at the time of metastatic involvement. The interval time between diagnosis of the primary and metastatic disease to the colon was 7.47 years. The most common presentation was bleeding. Colonoscopy was used in 11 patients and diagnostic in 9. Eighteen patients underwent resection, and seven patients had positive nodes. The average time until death after operation was 27.5 months (range, 30 days to 65 months). Nonoperative candidates died within 7.8 months after diagnosis. One-year and five-year survival for resected patients were 37 and 21 percent, respectively. Patients with negative nodes had an average survival time of 34.7 months compared with 20.4 months in patients with positive nodes. Perforation and bowel obstruction directly correlated with poor survival, with an average life expectancy of ten months (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Metastatic melanoma of the colon is rare. Segmental resection is justified and can be successfully completed in 95 percent of patients who undergo attempted resection. Survival of less than ten months is most accurately predicted by signs and symptoms of obstruction or perforation at presentation (P = 0.03).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A Jemal A Thomas T Murray M Thun (2002) ArticleTitleCancer statistics, 2002 CA Cancer J Clin 52 23–47

    Google Scholar 

  2. E Jorge HA Harvey MA Simmonds et al. (1984) ArticleTitleSymptomatic malignant melanoma of the gastrointestinal tract. Operative treatment and survival Ann Surg 199 328–331

    Google Scholar 

  3. DS Reintgen W Thompson J Garbutt HF Seigler (1984) ArticleTitleRadiologic, endoscopic, and surgical considerations of melanoma metastatic to the gastrointestinal tract Surgery 95 635–639

    Google Scholar 

  4. TK Das Gupta RD Brasfield (1964) ArticleTitleMetastatic melanoma of the gastrointestinal tract Arch Surg 88 969–973

    Google Scholar 

  5. AM Elsayed M Albahra UC Nzeako LH Sobin (1996) ArticleTitleMalignant melanomas in the small intestine Am J Gastroenterol 91 1001–1006

    Google Scholar 

  6. JK Patel MS Didolkar JW Pickren RH Moore (1978) ArticleTitleMetastatic pattern of malignant melanoma Am J Surg 135 807–810

    Google Scholar 

  7. OL Willbanks MJ Fogelmann (1970) ArticleTitleGastrointestinal melanosarcoma Am J Surg 120 602–606

    Google Scholar 

  8. SH Poggi JF Madison WJ Hwu et al. (2000) ArticleTitleColonic melanoma, primary or regressed primary J Clin Gastroenterol 30 441–444

    Google Scholar 

  9. GH Baab CM McBride (1975) ArticleTitleMalignant melanoma Arch Surg 110 896–900

    Google Scholar 

  10. B Plavsic AE Robinson (1990) ArticleTitleVariations in gastrointestinal melanoma metastases Acta Radiol 31 493–495

    Google Scholar 

  11. MH Khadra JF Thompson GW Milton WH McCarthy (1990) ArticleTitleThe justification for surgical treatment of metastatic melanoma of the gastrointestinal tract Surg Gynecol Obstet 171 413–416

    Google Scholar 

  12. JK Ihde DG Coit (1991) ArticleTitleMelanoma metastatic to stomach, small bowel, or colon Am J Surg 162 208–211

    Google Scholar 

  13. JM Klaase BB Kroon (1990) ArticleTitleSurgery for melanoma metastatic to the gastrointestinal tract Br J Surg 77 60–61

    Google Scholar 

  14. HM Goldstein MT Beydoun GD Dodd (1977) ArticleTitleRadiologic spectrum of melanoma metastatic to the gastrointestinal tract AJR Am J Roentgenol 129 605–612

    Google Scholar 

  15. AC Berger JF Buell D Venzon et al. (1999) ArticleTitleManagement of symptomatic malignant melanoma of the gastrointestinal tract Ann Surg Oncol 6 155–160

    Google Scholar 

  16. RR Garramone SuffixJr HD Crombie SuffixJr (1990) ArticleTitleGastrointestinal complications of metastatic malignant melanoma Conn Med 54 130–132

    Google Scholar 

  17. A Fraser-Moodie RG Hughes SM Jones et al. (1976) ArticleTitleMalignant melanoma metastases to the alimentary tract Gut 17 206–209

    Google Scholar 

  18. D Blecker S Abraham EE Furth ML Kochman (1999) ArticleTitleMelanoma in the gastrointestinal tract Am J Gastroenterol 94 3427–3433

    Google Scholar 

  19. SJ Jubelirer (1992) ArticleTitleMultiple colonic polyps as the initial presentation of malignant melanoma W V Med J 88 279–280

    Google Scholar 

  20. M Gutman JM Klausner M Inbar et al. (1987) ArticleTitleSurgical approach to malignant melanoma in the gastrointestinal tract J Surg Oncol 36 17–20

    Google Scholar 

  21. K Geboes E De Jaeger P Rutgeerts G Vantrappen (1988) ArticleTitleSymptomatic gastrointestinal metastases from malignant melanoma. A clinical study J Clin Gastroenterol 10 64–70

    Google Scholar 

  22. MA Eloubeidi JT Gaede WZ Davis (2000) ArticleTitleIsolated metastatic melanoma to the colon mimicking colon cancer Gastrointest Endosc 52 751–752

    Google Scholar 

  23. DJ Grignon JY Ro OB Varona AG Ayala (1988) ArticleTitleMalignant melanoma metastatic to a colonic polyp Am J Gastroenterol 83 1298–1300

    Google Scholar 

  24. S Tamura R Aono S Onishi K Hashimoto (2000) ArticleTitleMetastatic melanoma involving the colon Gastrointest Endosc 52 393–1300

    Google Scholar 

  25. RG Watson JP McMullin (1980) ArticleTitleIntussusception of the colon secondary to metastatic melanoma J R Coll Surg Edinb 25 200–201

    Google Scholar 

  26. BA Sacks N Joffe DA Antonioli (1977) ArticleTitleMetastatic melanoma presenting clinical as multiple colonic polyps AJR Am J Roentgenol 129 511–513

    Google Scholar 

  27. JH McClenathan (1989) ArticleTitleMetastatic melanoma involving the colon Dis Colon Rectum 32 70–72

    Google Scholar 

  28. JH McClenathan (2000) ArticleTitleLong-term survival after resection of metastatic melanoma from the colon [letter] Dis Colon Rectum 43 431–432

    Google Scholar 

  29. S Retsas C Christofyllakis (2001) ArticleTitleMelanoma involving the gastrointestinal tract Anticancer Res 21 1503–1507

    Google Scholar 

  30. JM Silverman JA Hamlin (1989) ArticleTitleLarge melanoma metastases to the gastrointestinal tract Gut 30 1783–1785

    Google Scholar 

  31. A Barth LA Wanek DL Morton (1995) ArticleTitlePrognostic factors in 1,521 melanoma patients with distant metastases J Am Coll Surg 181 193–201

    Google Scholar 

  32. LM Schuchter R Green D Fraker (2000) ArticleTitlePrimary and metastatic diseases in malignant melanoma of the gastrointestinal tract Curr Opin Oncol 12 181–185

    Google Scholar 

  33. LH Einhorn MA Burgess C Vallejos et al. (1974) ArticleTitlePrognostic correlation’s and response to treatment in advanced metastatic malignant melanoma Cancer Res 34 1995–2004

    Google Scholar 

  34. S Agrawal TJ Yao DG Coit (1999) ArticleTitleSurgery for melanoma metastatic to the gastrointestinal tract Ann Surg Oncol 6 336–344

    Google Scholar 

  35. F Mosimann C Fontolliet A Genton et al. (1982) ArticleTitleResection of metastases to the alimentary tract from malignant melanoma Int Surg 67 257–260

    Google Scholar 

  36. DG Coit (1993) ArticleTitleRole of surgery for metastatic malignant melanoma Semin Surg Oncol 9 239–245

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona, and the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

    Deron J. Tessier M.D., Elizabeth J. McConnell M.D., Tonia Young-Fadok M.D., M.S. & Bruce G. Wolff M.D.

Authors
  1. Deron J. Tessier M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elizabeth J. McConnell M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tonia Young-Fadok M.D., M.S.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bruce G. Wolff M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

About this article

Cite this article

Tessier, D.J., McConnell, E.J., Young-Fadok, T. et al. Melanoma Metastatic to the Colon. Dis Colon Rectum 46, 441–447 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10350-004-6577-2

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10350-004-6577-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation