Ascites as a Predictive Factor in Malignancies in the Last Year of Life-Comparison Between Different Cancer Types.

Ascites in malignancies is usually associated with poor prognosis, but the predictive value may vary between different cancer types. The aim was to map the frequency and temporal pattern of paracentesis in patients with malignancies in relation to time to death and to evaluate the occurrence of ascites as a predictive factor in different cancer types, with a limitation to the last year of life. A retrospective study based on registry data covering all care visits in the Stockholm Region, Sweden, for seven years was performed.