{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:35:44Z","timestamp":1787027744807,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,11]],"date-time":"2021-06-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1623369600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cancers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Treatment of recurrent malignant ascites in cancer patients is a challenge. Evidence based guidelines regarding the best treatment strategy are lacking. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of a tunnelled peritoneal catheter (PleurX) in cancer patients with symptomatic ascites. Patients with symptomatic, diuretics-refractory ascites and indication for the implantation of a tunnelled peritoneal PleurX catheter were prospectively enrolled between August 2018 and July 2020. The number of catheter days, complications, amount of drained ascites and ascites-associated symptoms and hospitalization rate pre- and post-PleurX insertion were analysed. 51 Patients (64.7% male) were prospectively enrolled. The mean age was 66.6 (\u00b17.9) years. The most common cause of ascites was pancreatic adenocarcinoma (n = 10) followed by cholangiocellular carcinoma (n = 9) and hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 8). The technical success rate of PleurX implantation was 100%. The mean volume of weakly drained ascites was 5.44l (\u00b14.08). Major complications included cellulitis (n = 2), peritonitis and drainage dislocation (each n = 1). The mean catheter days per patient was 59.8 (\u00b1107.4) (Min 4, Max 668). Abdominal discomfort, impaired mobility, dyspnoea, fatigue, nausea and vomiting were significantly reduced 30 days after PleurX insertion (p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, hospitalization rate was significantly reduced (p &lt; 0.001; 27.08% of days preimplantation vs. 11.27% postimplantation). We conclude that implantation of a tunnelled ascites catheter is a safe and effective method for the treatment of refractory ascites in cancer patients with advanced disease. Serious complications are rare. Burdensome ascites-associated symptoms and hospitalization rates can be significantly reduced over a longer period of time.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers13122926","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,11]],"date-time":"2021-06-11T12:44:37Z","timestamp":1623415477000},"page":"2926","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["Tunnelled Peritoneal Catheter for Malignant Ascites\u2014An Open-Label, Prospective, Observational Trial"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Golo","family":"Petzold","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5481-0429","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sebastian C. B.","family":"Bremer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Felix C.","family":"Heuschert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4436-5493","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hannes","family":"Treiber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Volker","family":"Ellenrieder","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Steffen","family":"Kunsch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Albrecht","family":"Neesse","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1016\/S0885-3924(98)00037-2","article-title":"A Survey of Practice in Management of Malignant Ascites","volume":"16","author":"Lee","year":"1998","journal-title":"J. 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Care, 18.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12904-019-0497-3"}],"container-title":["Cancers"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6694\/13\/12\/2926\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T06:13:18Z","timestamp":1760163198000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6694\/13\/12\/2926"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,11]]},"references-count":19,"journal-issue":{"issue":"12","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,6]]}},"alternative-id":["cancers13122926"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/cancers13122926","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-6694"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-6694","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,11]]}}}