Treatment of Feline Mammary Cancer

McNeill, C. J., K. U. Sorenmo, et al. (2009). "Evaluation of adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy for the treatment of feline mammary carcinoma." Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 23(1): 123-129.

Mammary carcinoma is the third most common cancer of cats. Female cats with a mean age of 10 to 12 years are primarily affected and approximately 90% of mammary tumors are malignant. Mammary tumors are characterized by local invasion into vasculature and surrounding tissues along with metastasis to distant locations such as draining lymph nodes, lungs, and other sites. A retrospective study was performed to evaluate whether adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy improved outcomes for cats with mammary carcinoma (MC) compared with surgery alone. Seventy-three cats with naturally occurring, biopsy-confirmed MC were included in the study. The surgery alone group contained 37 cats and 36 cats were in the surgery plus chemotherapy group (adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy). Median disease free survival and overall survival times were compared between groups. This study did not find a benefit to adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy in cats with MC. Additional studies are recommended to determine whether certain patients with negative prognostic factors (e.g., tumor size at time of surgical intervention) may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. [VT]
>> PubMed Abstract

Related Articles:
Overley, B., F. S. Shofer, et al. (2005). "Association between ovarihysterectomy and feline mammary carcinoma." J Vet Intern Med 19(4): 560-3.
>> PubMed Abstract

Viste, J. R., S. L. Myers, et al. (2002). "Feline mammary adenocarcinoma: tumor size as a prognostic indicator." Can Vet J 43(1): 33-7.
>> PubMed Abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook

McNeill, C. J., K. U. Sorenmo, et al. (2009). "Evaluation of adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy for the treatment of feline mammary carcinoma." Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 23(1): 123-129.

Mammary carcinoma is the third most common cancer of cats. Female cats with a mean age of 10 to 12 years are primarily affected and approximately 90% of mammary tumors are malignant. Mammary tumors are characterized by local invasion into vasculature and surrounding tissues along with metastasis to distant locations such as draining lymph nodes, lungs, and other sites. A retrospective study was performed to evaluate whether adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy improved outcomes for cats with mammary carcinoma (MC) compared with surgery alone. Seventy-three cats with naturally occurring, biopsy-confirmed MC were included in the study. The surgery alone group contained 37 cats and 36 cats were in the surgery plus chemotherapy group (adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy). Median disease free survival and overall survival times were compared between groups. This study did not find a benefit to adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy in cats with MC. Additional studies are recommended to determine whether certain patients with negative prognostic factors (e.g., tumor size at time of surgical intervention) may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. [VT]
>> PubMed Abstract

Related Articles:
Overley, B., F. S. Shofer, et al. (2005). "Association between ovarihysterectomy and feline mammary carcinoma." J Vet Intern Med 19(4): 560-3.
>> PubMed Abstract

Viste, J. R., S. L. Myers, et al. (2002). "Feline mammary adenocarcinoma: tumor size as a prognostic indicator." Can Vet J 43(1): 33-7.
>> PubMed Abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook

Read More

Deafness in White Cats

Cvejic, D., T. A. Steinberg, et al. (2009). "Unilateral and bilateral congenital sensorineural deafness in client-owned pure-breed white cats." J Vet Intern Med 23(2): 392-395.

Congenital deafness in white cats is well known. However, studies of the prevalence among purebred white cats have not been done. This study was performed at the Ludwig Maximilian University, Germany and the University of California, Davis and examined 84 client-owned pure breed white cats for hearing loss (31 British Shorthair, 14 Maine Coon, 11 Turkish Angora, 9 Persian, 6 Foreign White, 6 Norwegian Forest, 4 Highlander, 1 Balinese, 1 Devon Rex, and 1 Oriental Shorthair). Hearing was evaluated using click-evoked brainstem auditory evoked response. Overall, about 20% of the cats had hearing loss in either one, or both ears. In addition, blue-eyed cats were more likely to have hearing loss than cats of other eye colors. While this study does not represent a population cross-section, nor breed evaluation, and prevalence rates were not compared to non-white cats, these findings do support the conclusion that deafness among pure-breed white cats occurs as it does with mixed breed white cats. Neither the mechanism of inheritance nor the genetic basis for the condition is completely understood. [MK]
>> PubMed Abstract

Related articles:
Geigy, C. A., S. Heid, et al. (2007). "Does a pleiotropic gene explain deafness and blue irises in white cats?" Vet J 173(3): 548-53.
>> PubMed Abstract

Ryugo, D. K., H. B. Cahill, et al. (2003). "Separate forms of pathology in the cochlea of congenitally deaf white cats." Hear Res 181(1-2): 73-84.
>> PubMed Abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook

Cvejic, D., T. A. Steinberg, et al. (2009). "Unilateral and bilateral congenital sensorineural deafness in client-owned pure-breed white cats." J Vet Intern Med 23(2): 392-395.

Congenital deafness in white cats is well known. However, studies of the prevalence among purebred white cats have not been done. This study was performed at the Ludwig Maximilian University, Germany and the University of California, Davis and examined 84 client-owned pure breed white cats for hearing loss (31 British Shorthair, 14 Maine Coon, 11 Turkish Angora, 9 Persian, 6 Foreign White, 6 Norwegian Forest, 4 Highlander, 1 Balinese, 1 Devon Rex, and 1 Oriental Shorthair). Hearing was evaluated using click-evoked brainstem auditory evoked response. Overall, about 20% of the cats had hearing loss in either one, or both ears. In addition, blue-eyed cats were more likely to have hearing loss than cats of other eye colors. While this study does not represent a population cross-section, nor breed evaluation, and prevalence rates were not compared to non-white cats, these findings do support the conclusion that deafness among pure-breed white cats occurs as it does with mixed breed white cats. Neither the mechanism of inheritance nor the genetic basis for the condition is completely understood. [MK]
>> PubMed Abstract

Related articles:
Geigy, C. A., S. Heid, et al. (2007). "Does a pleiotropic gene explain deafness and blue irises in white cats?" Vet J 173(3): 548-53.
>> PubMed Abstract

Ryugo, D. K., H. B. Cahill, et al. (2003). "Separate forms of pathology in the cochlea of congenitally deaf white cats." Hear Res 181(1-2): 73-84.
>> PubMed Abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook

Read More

Bacterial Peritonitis in Cats

Culp, W. T., T. E. Zeldis, et al. (2009). "Primary bacterial peritonitis in dogs and cats: 24 cases (1990-2006)." J Am Vet Med Assoc 234(7): 906-13.

This retrospective study was performed to determine the clinical characteristics of primary bacterial peritonitis and to compare the characteristics of primary and secondary peritonitis in dogs and cats. Primary peritonitis is defined as an infection of the peritoneal cavity with no identifiable intraperitoneal source of infection or history of a peritoneal penetrating injury. Secondary peritonitis cases were identified by use of the first criteria and also had a confirmed source of bacterial leakage identified either during surgery or at necropsy. Nine cats met the inclusion criteria for primary peritonitis and 11 cats met the inclusion criteria for secondary peritonitis. The most common historical findings in cats with primary and secondary peritonitis were anorexia, lethargy, and vomiting. Weight loss was an additional common finding with secondary peritonitis in cats. Significantly more cats had tachypnea, pain on abdominal palpation, and abdominal distention with primary peritonitis than the secondary form. Additionally, significantly more cats with primary peritonitis had hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia than did cats with secondary peritonitis. Three types of bacteria were cultured from the peritoneal cavity of cats, including E. coli, Clostridium spp. and Streptococcus spp. The majority of cultures of primary and secondary peritonitis in cats were monobacterial. There was no significant difference in outcome detected between animals with primary versus secondary peritonitis. [VT]
>> PubMed Abstract

Related articles:
Ludwig, L. L., M. A. McLoughlin, et al. (1997). "Surgical treatment of bile peritonitis in 24 dogs and 2 cats: a retrospective study (1987-1994)." Vet Surg 26(2): 90-8.
>> PubMed Abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation
Join us on Facebook

Culp, W. T., T. E. Zeldis, et al. (2009). "Primary bacterial peritonitis in dogs and cats: 24 cases (1990-2006)." J Am Vet Med Assoc 234(7): 906-13.

This retrospective study was performed to determine the clinical characteristics of primary bacterial peritonitis and to compare the characteristics of primary and secondary peritonitis in dogs and cats. Primary peritonitis is defined as an infection of the peritoneal cavity with no identifiable intraperitoneal source of infection or history of a peritoneal penetrating injury. Secondary peritonitis cases were identified by use of the first criteria and also had a confirmed source of bacterial leakage identified either during surgery or at necropsy. Nine cats met the inclusion criteria for primary peritonitis and 11 cats met the inclusion criteria for secondary peritonitis. The most common historical findings in cats with primary and secondary peritonitis were anorexia, lethargy, and vomiting. Weight loss was an additional common finding with secondary peritonitis in cats. Significantly more cats had tachypnea, pain on abdominal palpation, and abdominal distention with primary peritonitis than the secondary form. Additionally, significantly more cats with primary peritonitis had hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia than did cats with secondary peritonitis. Three types of bacteria were cultured from the peritoneal cavity of cats, including E. coli, Clostridium spp. and Streptococcus spp. The majority of cultures of primary and secondary peritonitis in cats were monobacterial. There was no significant difference in outcome detected between animals with primary versus secondary peritonitis. [VT]
>> PubMed Abstract

Related articles:
Ludwig, L. L., M. A. McLoughlin, et al. (1997). "Surgical treatment of bile peritonitis in 24 dogs and 2 cats: a retrospective study (1987-1994)." Vet Surg 26(2): 90-8.
>> PubMed Abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation
Join us on Facebook

Read More