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Staging laparotomy in Hodgkin's disease: A community hospital experience
Author(s) -
Jones A. R.,
Ruether J. D.,
Ruether B. A.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.2930380403
Subject(s) - medicine , laparotomy , disease , general surgery , surgery
Between 1977 and 1984, 50 patients with Hodgkin's disease underwent a staging laparotomy performed by nine surgeons in a community hospital. Adequate procedures were performed in 80% of cases compared to staging laparotomies done between 1969 and 1976 when only 40% were properly performed. Abdominal lymphangiogram had a false‐negative rate of 0 but a false positive rate of 70%. Clinical stage III disease was significantly downstaged at laparotomy (65% of cases). Postoperative complication rate was 4% and there were no operative deaths. A subset of patients not requiring laparotomy have been identified. Because the quality of staging laparotomy and lymphangiography was variable, we encourage all centres treating patients with Hodgkin's disease to review their own experience with these techniques before making individual patient treatment decisions.