title: Diagnostic laparoscopy for periampullary and pancreatic cancer: what is the true benefit?
abstract: The role of diagnostic laparoscopy in patients with periampullary and pancreatic malignancies is controversial. A retrospective review was performed including all patients (n = 188) with a periampullary or pancreatic malignancy who underwent both CT and laparotomy at our institution between January 1997 and December 1999. The overall resectability rate for all periampullary cancers was 67.3% (115 of 171 patients). This compared favorably with the resectability rate for cancers of the pancreatic body and tail (3 of 17 patients, 17.6%; P < 0.01 vs. periampullary cancers). Fifty percent of patients with periampullary cancers were unresectable because of metastatic disease, whereas metastatic disease precluded resection in 64.3% of patients with cancers of the pancreatic body and tail. After patients undergoing operative palliation were eliminated, a nontherapeutic laparotomy would have been precluded by the use of diagnostic laparoscopy in only 2.3% of patients with periampullary cancers (4 of 171 patients). In contrast, 6 (35.3%) of 17 patients with cancers of the pancreatic body and tail underwent a nontherapeutic laparotomy (P < 0.01 vs. periampullary cancers). One hundred fifty-eight (84%) of the 188 CT reports reviewed could be definitively categorized as either "likely to be resectable" or "likely to be unresectable." The remaining 16% were equivocal. Of the 107 patients categorized as likely to be resectable, 89 were actually resected (83.2%). In contrast, only 10 of the 51 patients categorized as likely to be unresectable could be resected (19.6%).
authors: The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287-4603, USA.
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: Barreiro
authors: Keith D
authors: KD
authors: Lillemoe
authors: Leonidas G
authors: LG
authors: Koniaris
authors: Taylor A
authors: TA
authors: Sohn
authors: Charles J
authors: CJ
authors: Yeo
authors: JoAnn
authors: J
authors: Coleman
authors: Elliot K
authors: EK
authors: Fishman
authors: John L
authors: JL
authors: Cameron
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014670:Ampulla of Vater / Q000473:pathology*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D010180:Pancreatectomy / Q000379:methods; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed