title: Is a 'second look operation' justified in suspected recurrences after abdominal cancer surgery?
abstract: Seventy-three patients have been submitted to 74 further laparotomies for suspected recurrent malignant abdominal disease over a period of 13 months. The original tumour was situated in the large bowel in 42, oesophagus or stomach in 24, ovary in 3, small intestine in 2 and pancreas and retroperitoneum in 1 instance each. There were 10 examples of benign lesions, 16 of further primary cancer and 24 of resectable local recurrences or metastases. Seventeen patients underwent some palliative procedure, and only 7 were beyond any surgical help.
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000175:diagnosis; D010166:Palliative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery