Staging laparoscopy for pancreatic cancer

It is important to know the stage of the cancer to determine the best type of operation. However, it may be difficult to precise the stage of the pancreatic cancer only by using instrumental examinations.

Sometimes, laparoscopy is performed to determine the stage of the cancer and if the tumor can be resected. For this purpose, some small incisions are opened in the abdominal cavity (in the navel) and long and thin tools are used. One of the tools has a camera on the tip, the surgeon can see the inside of the abdomen through this camera. The surgeon may control the pancreas and other parts of the body for the presence of tumors and may take biopsies from abnormal areas to find out how much cancer is spreading.