Efficacy of Cell-Free and Concentrated Ascites Reinfusion Therapy for Palliative Care in a Patient with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Case Report

Abstract

Cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy (CART) is recognized as a useful treatment to improve the symptoms caused by refractory ascites. Recently, a few clinical studies have reported the effects of CART for malignant ascites, especially in gynecological and gastrointestinal cancers. We report the case of malignant ascites in a patient with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) whose symptoms were relieved by CART. A 59-year-old Japanese male with MPM who had undergone pleural decortication had pleural and peritoneal recurrence. His general status deteriorated as he developed massive ascites due to peritoneal metastases. With the initiation of CART, he recovered well enough to receive cisplatin-based systemic chemotherapy. Repeated use of CART contributed to the maintenance of his good general condition and enabled him to undergo successive systemic chemotherapy, which might have lengthened his life. This is the first report that demonstrates the efficacy of CART for palliative care in a patient with MPM. Our experience indicates that CART should be considered as a treatment option to control refractory malignant ascites regardless of the type of cancer.