The Value of Laparoscopic Staging in Upper Gastrointestinal Malignancy.

The goal of the clinical staging of malignant disease is to accurately define the extent of disease, direct appropriate therapy and avoid unnecessary intervention. Recent reports have suggested that laparoscopy can play a useful and complementary role in the staging of abdominal malignancy. This paper reviews the recent experience with laparoscopy in the staging of patients with upper gastrointestinal malignancy.