Sixteen patients underwent percutaneous catheter drainage of infected primary (n = 9) or metastatic (n = 7) abdominal tumors. Twelve of the patients improved clinically, as evidenced by defervescence and decrease or normalization of leukocytosis. Four patients did not respond to catheter drainage and required surgery. Three of the twelve who improved underwent operations for attempts at surgical cure or debulking of tumor volume despite an initial "good" response to percutaneous drainage. Of the nine patients who did not undergo surgery after percutaneous drainage, four underwent catheter removal after 5 weeks of drainage and had no recurrence of infection, two remained alive with the catheter in place up to 8 months and 1 year after drainage, and two died with the catheter in place. One patient had the catheter removed inadvertently after 3 weeks of drainage and had recurrences that required replacement of the catheter until his death. The major differences between drainage of necrotic tumors and drainage of standard abscesses were the need for surgery in the majority of the cases and the fact that patients needed the catheters for continued palliation until their death.