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Case Reports
. 2024 Jun 27:14:1372812.
doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1372812. eCollection 2024.

The "appearing" and "disappearing" ascites in the treatment of colorectal cancer: a case report

Hong-Ming Cui #  1 , Xin-Peng Shu #  1 , Zheng-Qiang Wei  1 , Xing-Ye Wu  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

The "appearing" and "disappearing" ascites in the treatment of colorectal cancer: a case report

Hong-Ming Cui et al. Front Oncol. .

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. In the treatment of patients with CRC, oxaliplatin plays a pivotal role, with moderate side effects. Neurotoxicity, myelosuppression, ototoxicity, delayed hypersensitivity reactions, and rhabdomyolysis induced by oxaliplatin have been reported individually. However, the occurrence of oxaliplatin-induced ascites has not been reported previously. The objectives of this case report were to elaborate on the rare occurrence of ascites in a patient with CRC after oxaliplatin therapy and to explore its characteristics and causes.

Case description: We report on a case of upper rectal cancer seen in a 65-year-old man who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic anterior rectal resection. The patient developed ascites during postoperative adjuvant therapy with oxaliplatin and capecitabine. We ruled out tumor recurrence by laparoscopy, intraoperative biopsy, and biochemistry of the ascites. The patient did not experience a recurrence of ascites after discontinuation of chemotherapy.

Conclusion: This case suggests that chemotherapy with oxaliplatin might cause ascites. The mechanism of the oxaliplatin-induced liver injury was further discussed, which might have been the cause of ascite formation. When patients with CRC who underwent chemotherapy with oxaliplatin develop ascites, surgeons should actively determine whether this is a side effect of chemotherapy or is due to tumor recurrence in order to avoid unnecessary surgery.

Keywords: ascites; case report; chemotherapy; colorectal cancer; oxaliplatin.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Timeline of patient clinical events.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Colonoscopy revealed a rectal cauliflower-like neoplasm. (B) CT scans showed a tumor-like lesion in the rectum. (C) MRI suggested rectal cancer.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(A) Rescan of enhanced CT found a large amount of fluid in the abdominal cavity. (B) PET-CT scans showed uneven thickening of the peritoneum, omentum, and mesentery.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Enhanced CT examination suggested no ascites or recurrence.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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