The prognosis of patients with peritoneal metastases from pancreatic cancer is poor, largely due to massive ascites, which precludes systemic treatment. Two patients with a poor performance status and malignant ascites were treated with cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy followed by combined chemotherapy with intraperitoneal paclitaxel, intravenous gemcitabine, and nab-paclitaxel. These patients achieved a survival of 19 and 36 weeks with a relatively good quality of life. Combined intraperitoneal paclitaxel and systemic chemotherapy may provide effective palliative management for some patients with peritoneal metastases from pancreatic cancer.
Keywords: cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy (CART); intraperitoneal chemotherapy; malignant ascites; paclitaxel; pancreatic cancer; peritoneal metastasis.