What is the cause of my dad's ascites?

Question:

My dad had 1/4 of his left lung removed 2 weeks ago due to stage 1 lung cancer. 9 days after his surgery he returned to the hospital with ascites. He has had a number of test and cat scans which all come out negative. His enzymes are normal and the doctor said that his liver does not look like cirrhosis. He says it could possibly be liver cancer, but obviously just his opinion because he hasn't had a liver biopsy. He had a PET scan a month ago and the scan showed that the cancer was only in his lung. He had some lymph nodes biopsied before surgery, some in his chest area and some by his lung. Those results came back negative for cancer. He is also being treated for C-diff for the past 2 weeks and that is improving.
Any thoughts on what he could have and is it possible to be liver cancer?

Answers:
I read your dad's medical history . I prefer to trust on your PET scan results! ; it will not demonstrate the true and exact anatomical location , but when the liver was free of any tumor in that study - also if there was any microscopic residues - it's impossible to cause such a massive ascites! .
My probabilities is as follows :
1 - Carcinomatosis ( previously neglected )
2 - Hepatic vein thrombosis ( due to para-neoplastic syndrome or manipulations around ,intra-operatively )
3 - Previous Cardiac problem that aggreviated in post operation time .
4 - Any neglected renal disorder concomitant with hypoproteinemic state .

My friend's mom had liver cancer and had to have peritoneal fluid drained-off when necessary.

I hope and pray your father doesn't have it...maybe it is early heart failure? Drugs can help his heart beat more efficiently...how are his kidneys?

They will continue to monitor the liver. It is the liver that makes a key protein in the plasma called albumin. Albumin is responsible, by osmosis, to get tissue fluids back into circulation. If he is low on albumin that will cause acites. It also can be lymphatics. I am sure the cause will be found, I wish your dad well.

A PET scan does not always show the extent of malignancy, especially if the cells were too small at the time that the scan was taken. It is possible that microscopic cancer cells have spread from the lung and irritated the lining of the abdomen and is causing the ascites. But, there are also other possibilities such as cancer in the liver causing fluid to back up in the abdomen. Blockage of the lymphatic system can also cause fluid to back up in the abdomen. Ascites can also be a sign of congestive heart failure. So . . it is hard to say. You may want to repeat the PET scan . . although it might be too soon (insurance sometimes won't approve it so soon after the last test).

My son was diagnosed with metastatic abdominal sarcoma two years ago and by the time he was admitted to the hospital he had over 30 pounds of malignant fluid in the belly. He had multiple tumors and the largest one had 'seeded' into the periteum and the irritation from the malignant cells caused his ascites.

He was given lasix (a diuretic) to get rid of the excess fluid and never need to be 'drained' using paracentesis. That worked for him as well as high dose chemotherapy to reduce the tumor burden.

We later followed up his treatment with a surgery that included intra-peritoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion, a treatment that addresses microscopic peritoneal seeding and prevents ascites at the same time. He hasn't had ascites since the chemoperfusion.

Stay strong. The doctors will hopefully be able to track this down.

Here are two articles that may help you
understand better the ascites. Many patients
who have cancer, do end up with ascites.
The causes are also listed on these sites.

http://www.gihealth.com/html/education/a...

http://www.ecureme.com/emyhealth/data/as...

There is a procedure that the doctors can
do to help relieve the pressure of the fluid
in the abdominal area, known as
paracentesis. They do this by numbing the
area and making a tiny incision in the
abdomen and inserting a needle just until they reach the fluid. Theyremove the needle and let the plastic sheath stay and the fluid drains through a long tube to a vacuum bottle or bag. It pulls the fluid gently from the abdomen because of this vacuum. They will watch the blood pressure closely during this time and they
may administer "Albumin" if they decide it is
needed. This gives the patient relief since
the fluid pressure is no longer on the other organs of the body and pushing up against the
diaphragm and the lungs making it difficult to breath.

People who have cancer, pancreatitis, liver
problems and kidney disease and also
heart problems can have ascites.

It is very possible that this cancer could have
spread to other areas. The liver is one of the
organs where it has continued blood flow
in which it tries to remove all toxins from the
body...I hope this is not the case for you, but
it is a possibility. A liver biopsy may be done,
but first they try to find the Tumor (cancer) so it can be biopsy. The liver is a very large organ and just taking a sample of its tissue may not
show the cancer if it is located in another part
of it.

Hope this is of some help.

This is simple, although unfortunately, it's not understood by the medical profession.

Your father's metabolism is in an unbalanced catabolic pattern. This imbalance produces fluid build-up. An overly catabolic condition is a breeding ground for more cancer.

So if it isn't there today, it could appear tomorrow.

To balance a catabolic imbalance things such as evening primrose oil, soy sauce, soy drinks, coffee, and hard boiled eggs can help bring temorary relief.

CAT scans and x-rays can make the problem worse.

I cured myself of Stage 4 cancer with freshly grated peppers and freshly grated garlic nine years ago. I put it on bread and covered it with butter.

That along with the evening primrose oil is what I would do.

Good luck and be well.

What is the cause of my dad's ascites?

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