Quality of life (healthcare)

Ascites

Palliative care

Nursing

Surgery

Intensive care medicine

Paracentesis

Chemotherapy

Peritoneovenous shunt

Abdominal pain

Medicine

Journal of Surgical Oncology

Malignant ascites (MA) carries a poor prognosis. It can have a significant impact on quality of life (QOL), with increasing abdominal distention, pain, and dyspnea. Diuretics typically do not work well for MA. Paracentesis is effective in providing temporary symptom relief but requires frequent repeat procedures. Options for durable symptom management include indwelling catheters, peritoneal ports, peritoneovenous shunts, intraperitoneal (i.p.) catumaxomab, and hyperthermic i.p. chemotherapy. These interventions do not necessarily improve overall survival but may improve QOL.

Palliation of malignant ascites