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"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Ascites, pronounced ah-sy-tees, is the medical term describing the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. While ascites is most commonly caused by &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/cirrhosis-what-you-need-to-know-1759889&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;cirrhosis&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, cancer may also be a cause of ascites. Learn what ascites feels like, how its diagnosed, and how doctors treat it.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;What are the Medical Causes of Ascites?&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;There are benign or non-cancerous conditions that can cause ascites with liver failure, or cirrhosis, being the most common one. Other examples of non-cancerous causes include &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/heart-failure-the-basics-1746178&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;heart failure&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, infection, and &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/acute-or-chronic-pancreatitis-symptoms-and-treatments-3520426&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;pancreatitis&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In about 10 percent of cases, ascites is caused by cancer, according to an older study in the &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;New England Journal of Medicine&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. Types of cancer that cause ascites include &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/ovarian-cancer-what-is-ovarian-cancer-514259&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot;&amp;gt;ovarian&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/diagnosis-of-colon-cancer-796804&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;5&amp;quot;&amp;gt;colon&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/pancreatic-cancer-514274&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;6&amp;quot;&amp;gt;pancreatic&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, and &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/uterine-cancer-what-is-uterine-cancer-514527&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;7&amp;quot;&amp;gt;uterine&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; cancer. &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/overview-of-lymphoma-514201&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Lymphoma&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-lung-cancer-p2-2249405&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;9&amp;quot;&amp;gt;lung cancer&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, and &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-breast-cancer-430090&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;10&amp;quot;&amp;gt;breast cancer&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; may also spread to the abdomen, causing ascites.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In order to differentiate between benign versus malignant or cancerous ascites, a doctor will perform a procedure called a paracentesis. In this procedure, a needle is inserted into the abdomen and a small fluid sample is removed. The fluid sample is then examined under a microscope. Certain characteristics of the fluid, like the presence of cancer cells, can help determine the cause of the ascites.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;What Does Ascites Feel Like?&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;While mild ascites may cause no symptoms, more advanced ascites can become uncomfortable, creating a bloated appearance to the abdomen. Common symptoms of more advanced ascites include:&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;abdominal pain&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;shortness of breath because the pressure of the fluid compresses the &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-the-diaphragm-muscle-914779&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;11&amp;quot;&amp;gt;diaphragm&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; &amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;nausea&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;vomiting&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;loss of appetite&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;How is Ascites Treated?&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The treatment of ascites depends on the severity of the ascites and is geared towards alleviating a person&amp;amp;#39;s symptoms and making them more comfortable. Therapies include salt restricted diets, &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/complete-guide-to-diuretics-1124128&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;12&amp;quot;&amp;gt;diuretics&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, and a therapeutic paracentesis, in which a large volume of fluid is removed from the abdomen. Its not uncommon for a person with ascites to need regular paracentesis to remove the fluid. The good news is that the procedure is relatively low risk and effective.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;That being said, if a person&amp;amp;#39;s ascites cannot be controlled well with these traditional therapies, a &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/diagnosing-normal-pressure-hydrocephalus-2488623&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;13&amp;quot;&amp;gt;shunt&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; may be placed surgically \u2014 although this procedure is higher risk and not commonly done.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In the case of malignant ascites, a person&amp;amp;#39;s doctor may consider &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/cytoreduction-2553390&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;14&amp;quot;&amp;gt;cytoreductive&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; surgery and chemotherapy that is administered directly into the abdomen \u2014 called direct intraperitoneal chemotherapy. This is only considered for certain patients and requires a careful discussion with a person&amp;amp;#39;s doctors to weight the potential risks and benefits.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;Sources:&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;Runyon BA. Care of patients with ascites. N Eng J Med. 1994 Feb 3;330(5):337-42. &amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;Sangisetty SL &amp;amp;amp; Miner TJ. Malignant ascites: A review of prognostic factors, pathophysiology and therapeutic measures. &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;World J Gastrointes Surg&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. 2012 Apr 27;4(4):87-95. &amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;em&amp;gt;DISCLAIMER: The information in this site is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for personal care by a licensed physician. Please see your doctor for diagnosis and treatment of any concerning symptoms or medical condition&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<https://www.verywell.com/understanding-ascites-513678>