Laparoscopic evaluation of abdominal malignancy.

Diagnostic laparoscopy, developed in the early 1900s, has become an integral part of evaluation in the management of abdominal malignancy, including hepatocellular carcinoma, metastatic hepatic cancer, and abdominal lymphoma. When compared with computerized tomography and ultrasound, laparoscopic diagnosis is superior, or at least complementary, to conventional imaging. Laparoscopic evaluation and staging of abdominal cancer will become of greater importance because of the increasing role of palliative procedures and multi-modality therapy.