Preliminary study of the treatment effect of apatinib mesylate upon malignant ascites and its safety

Ascites is a common symptom among advanced malignant tumor patients. They often suffer from abdominal distension, oliguria and poor appetite, and their living quality may be severely affected. At present, the major treatment method for malignant ascites is drainage, which is also combined with abdominal cavity perfusion. However, the overall treatment effect is modest, and patients can survive for only 2 to 6 months after treatment (1). Research has shown that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in malignant ascites is very high (2-5). This finding served as a theoretical basis for the application of anti-angiogenic drugs to treat malignant ascites in the current study