Clinical Value of Diagnostic Laparoscopy with Laparoscopic Ultrasound in Patients with Cancer of the Esophagus or Cardia

Accurate pretherapeutic tumor staging becomes increasingly important for the selection of therapy in patients with cancer of the upper gastrointestinal tract. We prospectively assessed the clinical value of diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound and peritoneal lavage in 127 consecutive patients with cancer of the esophagus or cardia but no evidence of hepatic metastases, peritoneal tumor dissemination, or other systemic tumor manifestations on standard staging techniques. There was no mortality or morbidity associated with diagnostic laparoscopy. Diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound showed relevant previously unknown findings, particularly in patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus or cardia (hepatic metastases in 22% and peritoneal tumor spread or free tumor cells in the abdominal cavity in 25%), whereas the diagnostic gain was low in those with squamous cell esophageal cancer. The sensitivity and specificity of laparoscopic ultrasound in predicting positive celiac axis lymph nodes were 67% and 92%, respectively. These data indicate that diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound and peritoneal lavage is safe and frequently provides therapeutically relevant new information in patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus or cardia, whereas the clinical value in patients with squamous cell esophageal cancer is limited.