Staging laparoscopy leads to rapid induction of chemotherapy for unresectable pancreatobiliary cancers

Preoperatively evaluating the resectability of pancreatobiliary cancers is difficult. The aim of this study was to investigate the benefit of staging laparoscopy in unresectable pancreatobiliary cancers. Between 2010 and 2013, 25 patients with pancreatobiliary cancers underwent staging laparoscopy after conventional tumor staging; they were compared with 10 patients who had unresectable or metastatic tumors that were found during laparotomy. Staging laparoscopy did not show unresectable factors in 11 patients, and resections were performed in these patients. Unresectable factors were found in other 14 patients who underwent staging laparoscopy. In these patients, chemotherapy was started after median postoperative day 3 (range, 2-10 days). This period was significantly longer in patients who received unnecessary laparotomy; chemotherapy was started after median postoperative day 11 (range, 6-15 days). These results suggest that staging laparoscopy, while avoiding laparotomy with unsuccessful resection, can lead to rapid induction of chemotherapy for unresectable pancreatobiliary cancers.