The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Clinical Presentation and Staging of Gastric Cancer

All patients of both groups underwent staging laparoscopy by the same two attending onco-surgeon, using the same technique and the same laparoscopic device. Under general anesthesia and in supine position SL was performed. A 10 mm optic laparoscopic port was inserted via the midline incision below the umbilicus using Hasson technique. All four quadrants of the abdomen as well as pelvis were inspected during laparoscopy and biopsy was taken from any suspicious lesion through insertion of 5mm port. All specimens underwent cytological evaluation by two independent pathologists. The presence of any malignant cells, regardless of the number, confirmed the positive cytology. In the event of discordant reports between two pathologists, specimens were sent for the third review by a pathologist who was blinded to the previous results. Laparoscopic evaluation was considered positive as if adjacent organ involvement, omental involvement or peritoneal seeding were seen.