COLLABORATIVE PROJECT
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY/ DIVISION OF CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY

Tumour growth following laparoscopy

D Watson, P Hewitt, G Maddern, G Mathew, A Rofe

A rat/tumour model established and characterised in the division has proved to be particularly useful for examining the mechanisms of metastatic tumour occurrence at incision sites following laparoscopic surgery. Surgical resection of intraabdominal tumours in this model leads to tumours at the sites where the instruments are introduced into the abdomen, in the same manner as that described in patients. Free cell suspension injected into the peritoneum is an alternative approach that is now proving successful for investigating other factors (change in peritoneal immune status, effect of different types of gases).