This is how the diagnosis is made
If there is a large accumulation of fluid of more than one liter, this can be determined during the physical examination by the doctor. The doctor holds his hands to the right and left side of the patient’s abdomen and taps with one hand. This sets the water in motion and makes it spill out in waves to the other side, where this movement can be registered by the other hand.
By tapping (percussion) the abdomen, it is also possible to determine whether there is any fluid in the free abdominal cavity. In addition, ultrasound or computer tomography can also be used to detect accumulations of fluid in the abdominal cavity. However, in order to be sure that these are water accumulations, a sample must be taken with the help of a puncture and examined in the laboratory.
Although there is no clear evidence of ascites or dropsy, some symptoms may be interpreted as indicative. In particular, patients with a known underlying disease such as cirrhosis of the liver should be sensitized. An increasingly tense and bulging abdomen is not always noticeable.
An unnoticeable, rapid weight gain and digestive problems can be groundbreaking. Other complaints are fullness and nausea. In more advanced stages, breathing difficulties occur.
What is the life expectancy with water in the abdomen and cancer?
In most cases, a pronounced accumulation of water in the abdomen indicates a very advanced disease. In the case of water in the abdomen and cancer (often liver cancer, pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer), liver cancer has the best prognosis. Liver tumors are usually detected earlier than the other two types of cancer, so that earlier treatment of the cancer is possible.
In addition, ascites in liver cancer can occur early due to liver dysfunction, so water in the abdomen does not necessarily indicate advanced cancer. Pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer, on the other hand, are usually discovered very late due to their mild symptoms. Often, the cancer cells have already spread at the time of diagnosis. If there is already an accumulation of water in the abdomen, this indicates a pronounced tumor process, so that a low life expectancy can be expected.
