PERITONEAL METASTASIS

Course overview

THE TERM PERITONEAL CARCINOMATOSIS (PC) GENERALLY REFERS TO THE METASTATIC INVOLVEMENT OF THE PERITONEUM. THE NAME WAS FIRST COINED IN 1931 BY SAMPSON FOR THE THOROUGH DESCRIPTION OF METASTATIC INVOLVEMENT OF THE PERITONEAL STROMAL SURFACE BY OVARIAN CANCER CELLS. SINCE THEN, IT REFERS TO ALMOST ANY PERITONEAL METASTATIC DEPOSITS, METASTATIC CANCER TO THE PERITONEUM IS MORE COMMON THAN A PRIMARY PERITONEAL MALIGNANCY. IT OFTEN OCCURS WITH GASTROINTESTINAL OR GYNECOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES OF ADVANCED STAGES WITH LOCOREGIONAL INVOLVEMENT. THIS ACTIVITY ARTICULATES HOW TO EVALUATE FOR THIS CONDITION PROPERLY, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.