Advances in the treatment of malignant ascites in China

Support Care Cancer. 2024 Jan 11;32(2):97. doi: 10.1007/s00520-023-08299-w.

Abstract

Purpose: Malignant ascites (MA) often occurs in recurrent abdominal malignant tumors, and the large amount of ascites associated with cancerous peritonitis not only leads to severe abdominal distension and breathing difficulties, but also reduces the patient's quality of life and ability to resist diseases, which usually makes it difficult to carry out anti-cancer treatment. The exploration of MA treatment methods is also a key link in MA treatment. This article is going to review the treatment of MA, to provide details for further research on the treatment of MA, and to provide some guidance for the clinical treatment of MA.

Method: This review analyzes various expert papers and summarizes them to obtain the paper.

Result: There are various treatment methods for MA, including systemic therapy and local therapy. Among them, systemic therapy includes diuretic therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, anti angiogenic therapy, CAR-T, and vaccine. Local therapy includes puncture surgery, peritoneal vein shunt surgery, acellular ascites infusion therapy, radioactive nuclide intraperitoneal injection therapy, tunnel catheter, and intraperitoneal hyperthermia chemotherapy. And traditional Chinese medicine treatment has also played a role in enhancing efficacy and reducing toxicity to a certain extent.

Conclusion: Although there has been significant progress in the treatment of MA, it is still one of the clinical difficulties. Exploring the combination or method of drugs with the best therapeutic effect and the least adverse reactions to control MA is still an urgent problem to be solved.

Keywords: CAR-T therapy; Cancer; Immunity; Malignant ascites; Peritoneal dissemination; Traditional Chinese medicine.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Ascites / etiology
  • Ascites / therapy
  • Carcinoma*
  • China
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
  • Peritoneal Neoplasms*
  • Quality of Life