The Role of Diagnostic Laparoscopy in Pancreatic and Periampullary Malignancies

Abstract

Preoperative computed tomography is a reliable technique to detect tumor metastasis in patients with pancreatic or periampullary cancer. Unlike other investigators, we found that only 10% of patients with periampullary or pancreatic cancer and 14% of patients with pancreatic cancer might profit from laparoscopy. Because of this low number, laparoscopy cannot generally be recommended for patients with pancreatic or periampullary cancer before laparotomy.