Nicholas J. Petrelli, MD, Consulting Editor

There are 12 articles in this issue of the Surgical Oncology Clinics of North America , which run the gamut of the diagnosis and treatment of peritoneal surface malignancies. This starts with Dr Garofalo and associates in the first article, which discusses patient selection for cytoreductive surgery and the role of laparoscopy in the diagnosis, staging, and treatment. Dr Paul Sugarbaker in the twelfth article discusses a plan for individualized care for early intervention for the treatment and prevention of colorectal carcinomatosis, in which he has tremendous experience. An additional interesting article by Sugarbaker and associates discusses the pharmacology of perioperative intraperitoneal and intravenous chemotherapy in peritoneal surface malignant patients. Dr Edward Levine from Wake Forest University discusses the current status and future directions in appendiceal cancer with peritoneal dissemination. Dr Levine leads the peritoneal malignancy program at Wake Forest.

The authors in this issue have devoted their careers to the management of these patients, which requires a multidisciplinary care approach in centers that focus on program development and research. I thank Dr Esquivel for his efforts and congratulate the authors on an excellent issue, and for their commitment to treating these patients.