COLORECTAL-CARCINOMA AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF PERITONEAL CYTOLOGY

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to investigate the frequency of th e association between colorectal cancer and peritoneal cytology as wel l as the impact of surgical resection on conversion of cytology from b enign to malignant cells being present. Furthermore, increasingly freq uent reports of port site recurrences with laparoscopic colectomy for limited stage colon carcinoma prompted us to evaluate the incidence of tumor cell spillage with traditional ''open'' colonic surgery. METHOD S: Fifty random patients undergoing surgery for colorectal carcinoma w ere prospectively evaluated with peritoneal washings prior to and foll owing colon resection. RESULTS: Five patients (10%) were found to have malignant cytology, with no patients converting from negative to posi tive cytology. All five positive cytologies were associated with stage IV disease and poorly differentiated colon cancer. CONCLUSION: Intrao perative peritoneal cancer dissemination could not be demonstrated by cytologic washings of the abdominal cavity before and after colorectal resection utilizing standard cytomorphological criteria. (C) 1997 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.