BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of laparoscopic ultrasound on the staging of @entity1820 prospectively. METHODS: Between 1993 and 2000 staging laparoscopy was performed on 668 @entity1 with various @entity5 . Laparoscopy provided adequate information regarding resectability in 366 @entity1 . Laparoscopic ultrasonography was performed in 302 @entity1 (45%) using an intraoperative ultrasound unit (B _ K) and a semiflexible ultrasound probe (5-7.5 MHz). The results of staging laparoscopy were compared to the preoperative staging and histopathology. RESULTS: Compared to preoperative staging laparoscopic ultrasound provided additional information of therapeutic relevance in 46 of 302 cases (15%). In a group of 384 @entity1 with @entity5 of the upper gastrointestinal tract, laparoscopic ultrasound was performed in 186 cases and showed occult liver metastases, M1-lymph nodes, or nonresectable disease in 26 @entity1 . Overall, this technique improved the staging of esophageal, gastric and @entity788 in 12%, 3%, and 12% of the @entity1 , respectively. Laparoscopic ultrasound proved to be most useful in esophageal and @entity788 with a rate of 52% and 20% information additional to laparoscopy. The relative contribution of laparoscopic ultrasound to the staging of @entity356 was only 10%. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic ultrasound improves the diagnostic accuracy of staging laparoscopy. However, routine use of this technique is only justified, if neoadjuvant therapy--particularly in controlled trials--is considered in @entity1 with advanced @entity1820 .

[Value of laparoscopic ultrasound for staging of XXXX ].

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity788 :: ('MESH:D010190', 'Disease') :: ['pancreatic cancer'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['neoplasms', 'tumors'] @entity1820 :: ('MESH:D005770', 'Disease') :: ['gastrointestinal tumors', 'gastrointestinal cancer'] @entity356 :: ('MESH:D013274', 'Disease') :: ['gastric cancer']
@entity1820 :: (MESH:D005770,Disease) :: ['gastrointestinal tumors']
