 Malignant ascites is excess fluid that accumulates in the space between the membranes lining the abdomen and abdominal organs, otherwise known as the peritoneal, or abdominal cavity. Malignant ascites typically occurs because of a disease, infection, or cancer in the peritoneal cavity that produces excessive fluid. Ascites fluid accumulation is very common in gynecologic cancers, especially ovarian. If protein markers are identified in the cells present in the diseased ascites fluid we may be able to correlate these markers with metastasis of the diseasecancer and possibly help prevent the spread of several gynecologic cancers. 