ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer continues to be a leading cause of cancer death. The treatment approach varies, and preoperative staging is therefore crucial since an exploratory laparotomy for unresectable gastric cancer will be followed by an unacceptably high morbidity and mortality rate. OBJECTIVES: To assess the added value of diagnostic laparoscopy to conventional methods of diagnosis such as computed tomography in avoiding unnecessary laparotomies. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on 78 patients scheduled for curative gastrectomy based on CT staging. DL was performed prior to exploratory laparotomy. RESULTS: In 23 of 78 patients (29.5%) unexpected peritoneal spread not detected on preoperative CT was found. Fifty-five patients underwent radical gastrectomy, 15 patients were referred for downstaging and 8 patients underwent a palliative procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, DL should be considered in all gastric cancer patients scheduled for curative gastrectomy.