Tumors of low malignant potential.

In the past two decades increasing interest has been directed toward defining tumors of low malignant potential with regard to diagnosis, treatment, and biologic behavior. Three factors that appear to be of prognostic significance include stage, cellular DNA content, and residual disease. Patients with tumors of low malignant potential should undergo surgical staging and optimal cytoreductive surgery when technically feasible. Although adjuvant chemotherapy does not appear to be efficacious in patients with tumors of low malignant potential as a whole, there may be a small subset of patients with poor prognostic factors that would benefit from chemotherapy. Second-look laparotomy is not indicated in the management of this disease except in the research setting.