OBJECTIVES: I. Determine whether a comprehensive laparoscopic examination of the abdomen with laparoscopic ultrasonography improves staging of pancreatic cancer with respect to (a) better assessment (compared to CT) of the extent of localized extra pancreatic disease, (b) vascular invasion, (c) regional lymph node involvement, and (d) metastatic deposits in liver parenchyma. II. Assess whether one of the newer minimally invasive imaging techniques, laparoscopic ultrasonography, predicts vascular invasion in pancreatic cancer. III. Develop an optimal cost effective strategy for assessing resectability in pancreatic cancer.