Another means of preventing the fluid from building up again is to inject either a chemotherapy drug or a radioactive substance into the peritoneal cavity. This is likely to cause fever and pain over the next day or so. Although some cancer cells may be killed, this method acts mainly by sealing the peritoneal cavity, so that there is no space left between the two layers of the peritoneal membrane for the fluid to collect in. Unfortunately, the stuff that is injected doesn’t usually spread right through the peritoneal cavity, so this method is rarely successful in completely stopping fluid from reforming.

Another alternative is just to have the fluid drained off whenever it builds up enough to cause you unpleasant symptoms. This can result in loss of a lot of fluid, protein and minerals, depending on the type of fluid you are forming. Ask your doctor if this is likely to cause a problem in your case and if so, what should be done to replace what you are losing.

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