Surgical strategies for gastric cancer with synchronous peritoneal carcinomatosis

Background: Gastric cancer frequently spreads to the peritoneal cavity. Whether laparoscopy is useful in planning therapy remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of laparoscopy and to develop a therapeutic algorithm. Methods: Six hundred and sixty consecutive patients with gastric cancer were included in this prospective observational study. The sensitivity of abdominal ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT) and laparoscopy for detecting peritoneal carcinomatosis was compared. The lesions were biopsied and classified as P1, P2 or P3 according to the recommendations of the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Cancer. Prognosis was determined according to the stage of peritoneal carcinomatosis and therapeutic procedure adopted. Results: One hundred and ten (16·7 per cent) of 660 patients presented with synchronous peritoneal carcinomatosis. The sensitivity for detecting peritoneal carcinomatosis was 85 per cent for laparoscopy compared with 19 per cent for ultrasonography and 28 per cent for CT. Patients with P3 disease did not benefit from additional surgery compared with chemotherapy alone. Those with P1 carcinomatosis had improved survival rates after complete resection followed by chemotherapy. Conclusion: Laparoscopy improves the detection and classification of peritoneal carcinomatosis, and offers patients with gastric cancer a more individualized and effective therapy. Copyright © 2006 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.