Preoperative prediction of complete resection in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND: Accurate preoperative staging is essential in pancreatic cancer to select the 15% of patients who can benefit from surgery and avoid surgery in the 85% with advanced disease. With improvements in computed tomography (CT) scanning, the value of routine laparoscopy for preoperative staging of pancreatic cancer has been questioned because it changes the preoperative plan in less than 20% of unselected cases. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our experience with preoperative staging in 88 consecutive patients with pancreatic cancer. All patients had preoperative CT scans, and selective criteria were used to determine which patients would also undergo preoperative staging laparoscopy. Patients were categorized preoperatively as resectable or not resectable (locally advanced or metastatic). Medical records, operative, and pathology reports were reviewed to determine the accuracy of preoperative predictions. RESULTS: Thirty patients were deemed resectable based on CT alone and 27 (90%) were resected (25 R0, 2 R1). Two (7%) had metastatic disease discovered at laparotomy and one (3%) had a R2 resection. Only 19 patients (39%) of 49 patients deemed resectable by CT met our selective criteria for preoperative staging laparoscopy. Laparoscopy changed the treatment plan in 11 (58%) of these patients. Eight were still deemed resectable after staging laparoscopy and 7 (88%) were resected (6 R0, 1 R1). One patient (12%) had metastatic disease diagnosed at laparotomy. If selective staging laparoscopy were eliminated from our algorithm, 49 patients would have been deemed potentially resectable based on CT alone, 34 (69%) would have been found to be resectable at laparotomy (31 R0, 3 R1), and 15 (31%) would have been found to be unresectable at laparotomy (positive predictive value of 69%). The addition of selective staging laparoscopy avoided unnecessary laparotomy in 11 patients and increased the positive predictive value to (34/38) 89%. CONCLUSION: Selective use of laparoscopy increases the positive predictive value of preoperative staging in pancreatic cancer and avoids unnecessary laparoscopy in the majority of patients.     

Patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma benefit from staging laparoscopy

Background: Unnecessary laparotomy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer may both compromise the quality of life and delay the initiation of more appropriate therapy. Very often, peritoneal small liver metastases and true local status cannot be fully determined without surgery. Laparoscopy may spare laparotomy and decrease morbidity for patients with nonresectable advanced disease. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of laparoscopy in patients with potentially resectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of patients undergoing pancreatic surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center from October 2001 to April 2005. A total of 59 patients were included in the study. All patients were staged radiographically with a high resolution helical computed tomography scan and their tumors were considered resectable. Thirty-seven patients underwent staging laparoscopy while 22 proceeded directly to laparotomy. Results: Of the 37 patients who underwent laparoscopic staging, 9 (24.3%) were detected to have metastatic disease or advanced tumor; the remaining 28 (75.7%) patients with negative laparoscopy proceeded to laparotomy. Of those, 24 patients (85.7%) underwent pancreatic resection with curative intent, while 4 patients had metastatic or locally advanced disease at subsequent laparotomy which was missed on staging laparoscopy (false negative rate of 14.3%). Of the 22 patients who proceeded directly to laparotomy, 16 (72.7%) received curative Whipple resection and 6 (27.3%) were found to have advanced disease and received bypass procedures or biopsy alone. Conclusion: These findings suggest that staging laparoscopy is beneficial in a significant proportion of patients deemed resectable by routine noninvasive preoperative studies. We plan to add intraoperative laparoscopic ultrasound to our staging protocol in order to decrease the false negative rate.     

Role of staging laparoscopy in peri-pancreatic and hepatobiliary malignancy

Even after extensive preoperative assessment, staging laparoscopy may allow avoidance of non-therapeutic laparotomy in patients with radiographically occult metastatic or locally unresectable disease. Staging laparoscopy is associated with decreased postoperative pain, a shorter hospital stay and a higher likelihood of receiving systemic therapy compared to laparotomy but its yield has decreased with improvements in imaging techniques. Current uses of staging laparoscopy include the following: (1) In the staging of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, laparoscopic staging allows for the identification of sub-radiographic metastatic disease in locally advanced cancer in approximately 30% of patients and, in radiographically resectable cancer, may identify metastatic disease in 10%-15% of cases; (2) In colorectal liver metastases, selective use of laparoscopic staging in patients with a clinical risk score of over 2 identifies unresectable disease in approximately 20% of patients; (3) In hepatocellular carcinoma, laparoscopic staging could be selectively used in high-risk patients such as those with clinically apparent liver cirrhosis and in patients with major vascular invasion or bilobar tumors; and (4) In biliary tract malignancy, staging laparoscopy may be used in all patients with potentially resectable primary gallbladder cancer and in selected patients with T2/T3 hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Because of the decreasing yield of SL secondary to improvements in imaging techniques, staging laparoscopy should be used selectively for patients with pancreatic and hepatobiliary malignancy to avoid unnecessary non-therapeutic laparotomy and to improve resource utilization. Each individual surgeon should apply his or her threshold as to whether staging laparoscopy is indicated according to the quality of preoperative imaging studies and the availability of resources at their own institution.     

Individualized surgical strategies for cancer of the esophagogastric junction

Due to their borderline location between the stomach and esophagus the optimal surgical strategy for patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction is controversial. Irrespective of the surgical approach a complete removal of the primary tumor and its lymphatic drainage has to be the primary goal of surgical treatment of such tumors. Based on the experience with surgical resection of more than 1000 patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction we recommend an individualized surgical strategy guided by tumor stage and topographic location of the tumor center or tumor mass. This requires detailed preoperative staging and classification of tumors arising in the vicinity of the esophagogastric junction into adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus (AEG Type I Tumors), true carcinoma of the gastric cardia (AEG Type II Tumors) and subcardial gastric carcinoma infiltrating the esophagogastric junction (AEG Type III Tumors). In patients with Type I Tumors transthoracic esophagectomy offers no survival benefit over radical transmediastinal esophagectomy, but is associated with higher morbidity. In patients with Type II or Type III tumors an extended total gastrectomy results in equal or superior survival and less postoperative mortality than a more extended esophagogastrectomy. In patients with early tumors, staged as uT1 on preoperative endosonography, a limited resection of the proximal stomach, cardia and distal esophagus with interposition of a pedicled isoperistaltic jejunal segment allows a complete tumor removal with adequate lymphadenectomy and offers excellent functional results. Multimodal treatment protocols with neoadjuvant chemotherapy or combined radiochemotherapy followed by surgical resection appear to markedly improve the prognosis in patients with locally advanced tumors who respond to preoperative treatment. With this tailored approach extensive preoperative staging becomes mandatory for an adequate selection of the appropriate therapeutic concept.     

Clinical value of diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound in patients with cancer of the esophagus or cardia

Accurate pretherapeutic tumor staging becomes increasingly important for the selection of therapy in patients with cancer of the upper gastrointestinal tract. We prospectively assessed the clinical value of diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound and peritoneal lavage in 127 consecutive patients with cancer of the esophagus or cardia but no evidence of hepatic metastases, peritoneal tumor dissemination, or other systemic tumor manifestations on standard staging techniques. There was no mortality or morbidity associated with diagnostic laparoscopy. Diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound showed relevant previously unknown findings, particularly in patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus or cardia (hepatic metastases in 22% and peritoneal tumor spread or free tumor cells in the abdominal cavity in 25%), whereas the diagnostic gain was low in those with squamous cell esophageal cancer. The sensitivity and specificity of laparoscopic ultrasound in predicting positive celiac axis lymph nodes were 67% and 92%, respectively. These data indicate that diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound and peritoneal lavage is safe and frequently provides therapeutically relevant new information in patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus or cardia, whereas the clinical value in patients with squamous cell esophageal cancer is limited. Presented at the Thirty-Seventh Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, San Francisco, Calif., May 19–22, 1996.     

Immediate preoperative laparoscopic staging for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

BACKGROUND: Conventional preoperative staging for esophageal carcinoma could be inaccurate. Laparoscopy has been applied for the staging of various upper gastrointestinal malignancies. It can identify peritoneal and liver deposits not shown by imaging, and could reduce the number of nontherapeutic laparotomies. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic staging for the management of squamous cell carcinoma involving the mid and distal esophagus. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed for all patients with esophageal cancer evaluated for surgical resection from January 1998 to January 2004. Laparoscopy was performed for all the patients with mid and distal esophageal cancer immediately before open gastric mobilization. The efficacy of laparoscopy for the management of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus was evaluated. RESULTS: Among the 63 patients with potentially resectable disease shown on conventional imaging, 54 (84%) underwent esophagectomy with curative intent after laparoscopic staging. Seven patients (11%) underwent laparoscopy alone because of abdominal metastases (n = 5) or other medical conditions (n = 2) that precluded esophagectomy. Two patients (3%) had exploratory right thoracotomy without esophagectomy despite normal laparoscopic findings. The sensitivity and specificity of laparoscopic staging were 100% in this series of patients (100% sensitivity and specificity means no false-positives or -negatives). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic staging is valuable for the management of patients with mid and distal squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Patients with metastatic disease and those with prohibitive surgical risk can thus avoid unnecessary laparotomy and be offered other treatment methods.     

Staging of pancreatic cancer before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiation

Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy is used at many institutions for treatment of localized adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Accurate staging before neoadjuvant therapy identifies patients with distant metastatic disease, and restaging after neoadjuvant therapy selects patients for laparotomy and attempted resection. The aims of this study were to (1) determine theutilityof staging laparoscopy in candidates for neoadjuvant therapy and (2) evaluate the accuracy of restaging CT following chemoradiation. Staging laparoscopy was performed in 98 patients with radiographically potentially resectable (no evidence of arterial abutment or venous occlusion) or locally advanced (arterial abutment or venous occlusion) adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Unsuspected distant metastasis was identified in 8 (18%) of 45 patients with potentially resectable tumors and 13 (24%) of 55 patients with locally advanced tumors by CT Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy and restaging CT were completed in a total of 103 patients. Thirty-three patients with potentially resectable tumors by restaging CT underwent surgical exploration and resections were performed in 27 (82%). Eleven (22%) of 49 patients with locally advanced tumors by restaging CT were resected, with negative margins in 55%; the tumors in these 11 patients had been considered locally advanced because of arterial involvement on restaging CT Staging laparoscopy is useful for the exclusion of patients with unsuspected metastatic disease from aggressive neoadjuvant chemoradiation protocols. Following neoadjuvant chemoradiation, restaging CT guides the selection of patients for laparotomy but may overestimate unresectability to a greater extent than does prechemoradiation CT. Presented at the 2001 Americas Congress of the American Hepatopancreatobiliary Association, Miami, Fla., February 25, 200l.     

Role of staging laparoscopy in gastric malignancies - our institutional experience

AIM: To investigate the value of staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS) and peritoneal lavage cytology in patients with newly-diagnosed gastric tumours in our department.METHODS: Retrospective review of prospectively-collected data was conducted in all patients with newly-diagnosed gastric tumours on oesophagogastroduode-noscopy between December 2003 and July 2008. All the patients had a pretreatment histological diagnosis and were discussed at the hospital multidisciplinary tumour board meeting for their definitive management. Computed tomography scan was performed in all patients as a part of standard preoperative staging work up. Staging laparoscopy was subsequently performed in selected patients and staging by both modalities was compared.RESULTS: Twenty seven patients were included. Majority of patients had cardio-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Thirteen patients (48%) were up-staged following staging laparoscopy and one patient was downstaged (3.7%). None of the patients had procedure-related complications. None of the patients with metastasis detected at laparoscopy underwent laparotomy. Gastrectomy after staging laparoscopy was performed in 13 patients (9R0 resections, 3 R1 resections and 1 R2 resection). Only one patient did not have gastrectomy at laparotomy because of extensive local invasion. Three patients were subjected to neoadjuvant therapy following laparoscopy but only one patient subsequently underwent gastrectomy. CONCLUSION: In this small series reflecting our institutional experience, staging laparoscopy appears to be safe and more accurate in detecting peritoneal and omental metastases as compared to conventional imaging. Peritoneal cytology provided additional prognostic information although there appeared to be a high false negative rate.     

腹腔镜探查判断胆囊癌可切除性的临床意义

目的 初步评价腹腔镜探查在胆囊癌外科治疗中的应用价值.方法 自2007年1月至2010年3月在上海交大医学院附属新华医院普外科及第二军医大学东方肝胆外科医院腹腔镜科收治胆囊癌患者中,选择有手术切除可能的60例患者作为腹腔镜探查组,将同期符合相同条件行剖腹探查的192例胆囊癌患者作为对照组,比较两组手术切除率、腹腔广泛转移患者的手术时间及住院时间.计量资料采用t检验,计数资料采用x2检验.结果 腹腔镜探查组60例中27例患者的肝脏和(或)腹膜有肿瘤广泛转移,中止手术;33例转行剖腹探查,发现1例肝脏多处肿瘤转移、12例侵犯门静脉主干和(或)胰头、十二指肠,无手术切除可能,中止手术;其余20例中7例行胆囊癌姑息性切除,13例行胆囊癌根治性切除术.直接行剖腹探查组192例术中发现肝脏和(或)腹膜肿瘤广泛转移的82例及侵犯门脉主干和(或)胰头31例均中止手术,姑息性切除32例,根治性切除47例.两组手术切除率、腹腔广泛转移患者的手术时间及住院时间差异有统计学意义(x2=4.328,t=8.6501,t=5.8260;P＜0.05、P＜0.01、P＜0.01).结论 腹腔镜探查有助于手术决策的制定,减少不必要的非治疗性剖腹探查,能显著提高手术切除率,可以作为胆囊癌外科治疗中的常规操作.

Abstract：

Objective To evaluate the role of laparoscopic staging for the resectability of gallbladder cancer. Methods From Jan 2007 to Mar 2010,60 gallbladder cancer patients without of metastatic disease or main hepatic portal vessel invasion as assessed by preoperative imaging underwent staging laparoscopy for tumor resectability evaluation. Peritoneal and liver surface metastases were looked for and assessment of local spread was done if possible. Assessment was based on visual impression and biopsies were obtained routinely. T test and x2 test were used. Results At laparoscopy, 27 (45%) patients were found with disseminated disease on peritoneal cavity or the surface of liver, hence, senseless open surgery was avoided. The other 33 patients were converted to open laparotomy, among those 1 patient was found with disseminated metastasis in the liver and 12 patients with the invasion of main hepatic portal vessel,pancreatic head, duodenum did not undergo any further surgery. Finally 7 patients received surgical bypass procedure and 13 patients underwent radical resection. During the same period, 192 clinically diagnosed gallbladder cancer patients undergoing open laparotomy without laparoscopic pre-assessment served as control. Among those in control group 79 patients received radical or palliative resection. The resectability rate was significantly different between the two groups ( P ＜ 0. 05). Conclusion Staging laparoscopy in patients with gallbladder cancer is helpful in detecting liver and peritoneal metastases overlooked by preoperative imaging, avoiding unnecessary open explorations.     

CA 19-9 levels predict results of staging laparoscopy in pancreatic cancer

Laparoscopy has emerged as an important staging procedure for determining resectability of pancreatic cancer. However, a small fraction of patients with pancreatic cancer benefit from its use and therefore the routine application of laparoscopy remains controversial. We hypothesized that serum CA 19-9 levels may identify patients who will or will not benefit by laparoscopy. We retrospectively reviewed our database of 63 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma who underwent staging laparoscopy and correlated findings with CA 19-9 levels. Overall, laparoscopy identified metastatic disease in 12 patients (19%). None of those required any further operation. The resectability rate (patients who underwent resection after laparoscopy) was 73.5%. There was one false-negative laparoscopy (1.6%). Patients with higher CA 19-9 levels had significant higher odds of having metastasis identified by laparoscopy (odds ratio, 1.83; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-3.24; P = .04). There was no patient with CA 19-9 levels below 100 U/ml in whom metastatic disease was identified during laparoscopy: 18 patients (28.6%) with CA 19-9 levels below this cutoff point had negative laparoscopy and could have avoided the procedure had this cutoff been used for screening. This would have increased the laparoscopy yield to 26.7%. In patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, low CA 19-9 levels predict low probability of metastatic disease; in those patients, laparoscopy can be spared. On the contrary, patients with elevated CA 19-9 have an increased probability of metastatic disease, and these patients may benefit from diagnostic laparoscopy. Presented at the Forty-Sixth Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Chicago, IL, May 14–18, 2005 (poster presentation).     

Prospective Analysis of Accuracy of Positron Emission Tomography,Computed Tomography,and Endoscopic Ultrasonography in Staging of Adenocarcinoma of the Esophagus and the Esophagogastric Junction

Background: Exact preoperative staging of esophageal cancer is essential for accurate prognosis and selection of appropriate treatment modalities.Methods: Forty-two patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or the esophagogastric junction suitable for radical esophageal resection were staged with positron emission tomography (PET), spiral computed tomography (CT), and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS).Results: Diagnostic sensitivity for the primary tumor was 83% for PET and 67% for CT; for local peritumoral lymph node metastasis, it was 37% for PET and 89% for EUS; and for distant metastasis, it was 47% for PET and 33% for CT. Diagnostic specificity for local lymph node metastasis was 100% with PET and 54% with EUS, and for distant metastasis, it was 89% for PET and 96% for CT. Accuracy for locoregional lymph node metastasis was 63% for PET, 66% for CT, and 75% for EUS, and for distant metastasis, it was 74% with PET and 74% with CT. Of the 10 patients who were considered inoperable during surgery, PET identified 7 and CT 4. The false-negative diagnoses of stage IV disease in PET were peritoneal carcinomatosis in two patients, abdominal para-aortic cancer growth in one, metastatic lymph nodes by the celiac artery in four, and metastases in the pancreas in one. PET showed false-positive lymph nodes at the jugulum in three patients.Conclusions: The diagnostic value of PET in the staging of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and the esophagogastric junction is limited because of low accuracy in staging of paratumoral and distant lymph nodes. PET does, however, seem to detect organ metastases better than CT.     

Dynamic CT in the Preoperative Evaluation of Patients With Gastric Cancer: Correlation With Surgical Findings and Pathology

Background: The use of diagnostic techniques in the preoperative staging of patients with gastric cancer must be better defined. To further clarify which technique is indicated, we applied a new modality of computed tomography (CT) scanning for patients with gastric cancer.Methods: Dynamic CT of the abdomen using water as oral contrast agent was performed in 30 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Patients without evidence of metastatic disease underwent exploratory laparotomy and intraoperative staging. Resectable patients had surgical excision and definitive pathologic staging.Results: Two patients (7%) had metastatic disease by CT and were considered inoperable. The remaining 28 underwent laparotomy. Of these, six (21%) were unresectable and 22 (79%) had surgical resection. Dynamic CT adequately suggested advanced stage disease in four (67%) of the 6 unresectable patients. Wall thickness in dynamic CT correlated with the risk of serosal involvement (P < .001). Both CT and surgery had an accuracy of 64% (P > .05) in predicting pathologic staging. CT overstaged only 4% of cases.Conclusions: Dynamic CT is a useful modality that can indicate inoperable disease, obviating the need for laparotomy in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. CT can modify the surgical approach by suggesting unresectable or advanced disease. The low percentage of patients that are overstaged by CT, combined with its similar staging accuracy when compared with laparotomy, support its preoperative use in these patients.     

Evaluation of minimally invasive surgical staging for esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND: Conventional imaging studies (computed tomography and endoscopic esophageal ultrasonography) used for preoperative evaluation of patients with esophageal cancer can be inaccurate for detection of small metastatic deposits. We evaluated the efficacy of minimally invasive surgical (MIS) staging as an additional modality for evaluation of patients with esophageal cancer. METHODS: Between December 1998 and February 2001, 33 patients with esophageal cancer were evaluated for surgical resection. Conventional imaging studies demonstrated operable disease in 31 patients and equivocal findings in 2 patients. All patients then underwent MIS staging (laparoscopy, bronchoscopy, and ultrasonography of the liver). We compared the results from surgical resection and MIS staging with those from conventional imaging. RESULTS: MIS staging altered the treatment plan in 12 (36%) of 33 patients; MIS staging upstaged 10 patients with operable disease and downstaged 2 patients with equivocal findings. MIS staging accurately determined resectability in 97% of patients compared with 61% of patients staged by conventional imaging. The specificity and negative predictive value for detection of unsuspected metastatic disease in MIS staging were 100% and 96%, respectively, compared with 91% and 65%, respectively, for conventional imaging studies. CONCLUSION: In addition to conventional imaging studies, MIS staging should be included routinely in the preoperative work-up of patients with esophageal cancer.     

Role of laparoscopy in the initial multimodality management of patients with near- obstructing rectal cancer

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of diagnostic laparoscopy in the multimodality management of locally advanced, near-obstructing rectal cancer. Fourteen patients with near-obstructing adenocarcinoma of the rectum (8 men and 6 women; mean age 49 years) underwent staging laparoscopy and formation of a sigmoid loop colostomy (n = 7), transverse colostomy (n = 4), or ileostomy (n = 3). The mean operative time was 78 minutes (range 67 to 94 minutes). All patients began a regular diet on post-operative day 1 and the median time to discharge was 4 days (range 2 to 8 days). Four patients were found to have diffuse peritoneal carcinomatosis not defined on preoperative CT scan. These patients died of disease within 6 months. Ten patients with advanced, localized pelvic disease began preoperative combined-modality treatment (5040 cGy external-beam radiation therapy in conjunction with 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin) between 8 and 13 days (median 9 days) following laparoscopy, and all underwent successful resection with clear margins in a median time of 12 weeks following laparoscopy. In the initial management of patients with near-obstructing advanced rectal cancer, laparoscopy can be both therapeutic and diagnostic by clarifying the site of the primary tumor, identifying patients with unsuspected peritoneal disease, and facilitating the formation of a defunctioning stoma with minimal morbidity. This leads to the early commencement of preoperative combined-modality treatment and does not compromise the prospects of subsequent tumor resection. Supported by the Eru Pomare Fellowship from the Health Research Council of New Zealand. Presented at the Fortieth Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Orlando, Fla., May 16–19, 1999.     

Appraisal of Treatment Strategy by Staging Laparoscopy for Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer

More accurate preoperative staging is necessary to determine the treatment strategy for locally advanced gastric cancer. Thirty-two patients with T3 or T4 gastric cancer expected to undergo curative resection based on conventional examinations underwent staging laparoscopy. The disease stages determined were compared with those obtained by conventional methods. The discrepancy rate of disease staging was 16 of 32 (50.0%), with down-staging in 5 of 32 (15.6%) and up-staging in 11 of 32 (34.4%). Of the 32 patients, 13 (40.6%) were found to have unsuspected peritoneal dissemination. The positive predictive value for peritoneal metastasis by staging laparoscopy was 100%, whereas the negative predictive value was 89% (17/19). The accuracy rate was 94%. After laparoscopy, 15 of the 32 (46.9%) were diagnosed as candidates for curative resection. Of these 15 patients who underwent surgery, 13 (86.7%) underwent curative resection (1 R0 and 12 R1); the remaining two underwent R2 resection because of peritoneal metastasis that was undetected by staging laparoscopy. Patients with tumors judged noncurable by laparoscopy (n= 11) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In 7 of the 11 cases, salvage surgery was done (one R0, three R1, three R2 resections). A second staging laparoscopy was performed in four cases to determine the indication for salvage surgery. Three of the four were judged to be curable and underwent curative resection. Staging laparoscopy is an effective tool for detecting unsuspected peritoneal metastasis, and it can increase the curative resection rate and decrease unnecessary laparotomy for advanced gastric cancer. Second-look laparoscopy enables accurate assessment of the chemotherapeutic response, which can help in decisions about salvage surgery.     

Laparoscopy Predicts Metastatic Disease and Spares Laparotomy in Selected Patients With Pancreatic Nonfunctioning Islet Cell Tumors

Introduction: Our objective was to compare the efficacy of CT alone to CT followed by laparoscopy in determining resectability of pancreatic nonfunctioning islet (NFI) cell tumors.Methods: A retrospective analysis from 1993 to 1999 revealed 48 patients who underwent surgical evaluation for NFI cell tumors. Of these, 34 (71%) patients underwent laparoscopy and CT for either diagnostic purposes or tumor staging. CT and laparoscopic criteria for curative resectability were defined and the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of both modalities in determining resectability were calculated.Results: The most frequent tumor location and presenting symptoms were pancreatic head (n = 27, 56%) and abdominal pain (n = 31, 65%), respectively. Median tumor size was 4.0 cm. In the laparoscopy group, curative resection was performed in 20 cases (59%). CT followed by laparoscopy was more sensitive than CT alone in predicting resectability (93% vs. 50%, P = 0.03) with similar specificity (both 100%). The predictive value for tumor resectability was 74% for CT alone and 95% for CT followed by laparoscopy. Reasons for unresectability identified at laparoscopy but not indicated by CT were liver metastases (n = 6) or nodal disease (n = 1). Four of these patients were spared a laparotomy while the other three patients underwent surgical palliation and all are alive with disease (AWD). In those not undergoing laparoscopy (n = 14), curative resection was performed in 64% (n = 9). Four of these patients underwent resection, despite having metastases, and three are AWD.Conclusions: NFI cell tumors of the pancreas present as large masses with frequent metastases. Despite metastatic disease, prolonged survival is often achieved with or without open surgical treatment. Laparoscopy can be used in diagnosis and accurately identifies metastases not seen on CT, thus sparing laparotomy in some patients.     

Assessment of pancreatic malignancy with laparoscopy and intraoperative ultrasound

Background Staging laparoscopy for pancreatic malignancy is controversial. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of laparoscopy with intraoperative ultrasound in the management of patients with pancreatic carcinoma. Methods The study involved patients undergoing laparoscopy and intraoperative ultrasound over a period of 42 months. The entry criteria specified radiologic (computed tomography) diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma and no evidence of metastases. Results The study enrolled 100 patients (52 men and 48 women) ages 21 to 83 years (mean, 63 years). On the basis of imaging, 75 patients had lesions judged to be operable, and 25 patients had a pancreatic head lesion larger than 4 cm radiologically, considered to be unresectable, but with no evidence of metastatic disease. At laparoscopy, three patients had a normal examination, with no evidence of a pancreatic mass, and an additional seven patients had other pathology including one lymphoma, one ampullary tumor, two cases of chronic pancreatitis, and three sarcomas. Of the patients with radiologically inoperable disease, 16% had previously undetected metastases, but 24% were judged to be suitable for curative resection. Half of these patients underwent successful resection. Of the patients with radiologically operable disease, undetected liver or peritoneal metastases were found in 20% of the body or tail lesions and in 26% of the pancreatic head lesions. Of the pancreatic head tumors, 12% were found to be larger than 4 cm and therefore unsuitable for curative resection. Consequently, only 53% were confirmed to be suitable for resection. Of the patients explored with a view to curative resection, 42% actually underwent resection, with clearance of resection margins achieved in 77.8%. Conclusion Of the patients thought to have a resectable tumor on the basis of good quality preoperative imaging, 44% had their management approach altered after laparoscopy and avoided an open procedure. Laparoscopy should therefore be used in the preoperative staging of pancreatic tumors.     

The value of laparoscopic staging for patients with colorectal metastases

BACKGROUND: Resection offers the only chance of cure for hepatic colorectal metastases. However, preoperative staging does not always reliably detect unresectable disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the role that laparoscopy with ultrasound may have in detecting unresectable disease, thus sparing patients from unnecessary laparotomy with the associated morbidity and cost. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients considered for liver resection of colorectal metastases during a 3-year period was performed, analyzing factors likely to predict resectable disease, rates of resectability, and success of laparoscopic staging at detecting unresectable disease. RESULTS: Of 73 patients with resectable disease on computed tomography, 24 were deemed to need laparoscopy, and 49 proceeded directly to laparotomy. Those first undergoing laparoscopy had shorter disease-free intervals between diagnosis of colorectal cancer and detection of hepatic recurrence and greater numbers of hepatic metastases. Twelve of the 24 patients who underwent laparoscopy had unresectable disease, and 8 of these were detected at laparoscopy. Forty-six of the 49 patients proceeding to laparotomy directly had resectable disease. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic staging of hepatic colorectal metastatic disease detects most unresectable disease, preventing unnecessary laparotomy. The likelihood of disease being unresectable is in part predicted by the disease-free interval and the number of hepatic metastases.     

腹腔镜技术在转移性肝癌治疗中的作用与评价

腹腔镜技术在转移性肝癌治疗的应用已取得较大进展,主要体现在腹腔镜探查提高了术前诊断的准确度并有助于个性化治疗方案的制定,娴熟的腹腔镜手术切除技术提高了手术切除率和术后存活率。腹腔镜技术的应用为转移性肝癌的综合治疗提供了有效而微创的选择。     

Esophageal carcinoma: esophageal ultrasound assessment of preoperative chemotherapy.

The effect of preoperative chemotherapy in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma is difficult to assess because of the inadequacies of clinical staging. Endoscopic esophageal ultrasound (EUS) has been shown to be accurate in the clinical determination of depth of tumor invasion (T) and regional lymph node status (N). Therefore, EUS may be useful in assessing the effect of preoperative chemotherapy in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma. Eleven patients with operable adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or esophagogastric junction underwent staging by EUS before treatment. This was followed by two courses (10 patients) or one course (1 patient) of chemotherapy: etoposide, 120 mg/m2 for 3 days; doxorubicin hydrochloride, 20 mg/m2; and cisplatin, 100 mg/m2. Restaging by EUS was done after treatment. Ten patients then underwent resection of the tumor with lymphadenectomy. One patient was found to have metastatic disease at thoracotomy and did not undergo resection. However, tissue sampling was adequate for the determination of pathological stage. Independent pathological determinations of T and N were then obtained. On completion of chemotherapy, 9 patients (82%) had relief or reduction of preoperative symptoms, and 9 patients (82%) had either no evidence of tumor or reduction of tumor size by endoscopy. Despite this clinical and endoscopic response, no patient had EUS-documented and pathology-confirmed reduction of T. However, 2 patients had EUS-documented and pathology-confirmed progression of N. The accuracy of EUS in the determination of T was 82% and of N, 73%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)