[Expert consensus on diagnostic laparoscopic exploration for gastric cancer (2026 edition)]

Peritoneal metastasis is a common form of distant metastasis in gastric cancer, associated with poor therapeutic efficacy and extremely unfavorable patient prognosis. The commonly used clinical modalities of contrast-enhanced CT and PET-CT remain highly limited in the precise detection of small peritoneal metastatic lesions. Laparoscopic exploration is still regarded as the most reliable method for diagnosing peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer at present, offering the advantage of direct visualization of the primary tumor, perigastric lymph nodes, and peritoneal metastasis, while enabling acquisition of histological and cytological specimens to confirm pathological diagnosis. However, the popularity and standardization of diagnostic laparoscopic exploration still vary across China. Differences in technical proficiency, equipment conditions, understanding of laparoscopic exploration among medical institutions in different regions and at different levels, as well as variable patient acceptance, have hindered the popularization, application, and standardized implementation of this technique. This expert consensus systematically summarizes the indications, contraindications, key operative points, biopsy procedures, and peritoneal lavage of laparoscopic exploration, and formulates 12 recommendations. It aims to provide evidence for the clinical application of diagnostic laparoscopic exploration for gastric cancer in China, thereby promoting its standardized practice nationwide.