Peritoneal Lavage Cytology and Radiologically Evident Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Within 12 Months in Advanced Digestive Cancer Without Macroscopic Peritoneal Disease: A Single-Centre Prognostic Study

Background/Objectives: Peritoneal dissemination is a major pattern of failure in advanced digestive cancer and is poorly detected by cross-sectional imaging. Outside gastric cancer, peritoneal lavage cytology is rarely performed and carries no staging weight. We examined the association between cytological status and subsequent peritoneal carcinomatosis in patients without peritoneal disease on imaging or at operation.