My uncle has had colon cancer for about 6 months. Now he has had ascites drained twice within the last month. Is this a symptom of worsening disease or mets? He thinks maybe the doctor messed up doing his colon resection, but I do not agree with him? Any ideas?
Cancer - 3 Answers
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1 :
The ascites, the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, can be due to multiple reasons. The top on my list would be poor nutrition. The patient may be unable to absorb enough electrolytes if the colon is too short. Yes, there may also be liver malfunction. Also maybe due to poor nutrition, hepatits, alcoholic liver disease and yes a possibllity of metastases to the liver that may be causing end stage liver disease. Your uncle needs to discuss with his doctor his concerns and get appropriate answers for himself.
2 :
First off, if he is having ascites frequently after surgery, he probably should be checked out by another doctor. It could mean that some cancer was missed, or it has already metastasized into the liver. It could be a complication of surgery. But either way, he needs to be checked out again.
3 :
It's hard to say from your description what is going on with your uncle. I would discuss this with the doctor who has all the available facts. I can tell you what happened with my 17 year old son. He was diagnosed with a rare abdominal sarcoma. By the time he was diagnosed he was already stage IV with multiple masses. His primary tumor had 'wept' and seeded hundreds of tumors onto his diaphragm and the walls of the abdomen. This process irritates the walls of the abdomen causing an accumulation of fluid called ascites. He was fortunate as he was able to eliminate 30 pounds of the fluid with a diuretic. But he was extremely bloated in the abdomen and fluid in the legs and ankles. As a secondary health issue he also developed blood clots during this episode. Ascites can be very uncomfortable for the patient, but they can drain it or use a diuretic. Unfortunately, in many abdominal cases the fluid can return. What I know about advanced cases is that this can indicate a progression of disease. It's hard to say though with your uncle. My son was able to undergo high dose chemo, 2 surgeries, and has come a long, long way since he was first diagnosed. He also underwent an experimental surgery called intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion to address the small and microscopic disease on the diaphragm and in the abdomen. The added benefit to hyperthermic chemoperfusion is that it also treats ascites. Reliable Relief of Debilitating Ascites http://www.surgicaloncology.com/psmreslt.htm http://www.pittsurgonc.com/procedures/peritonealchemo.htm
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