Treatment of Feline Mammary Cancer

Borrego JF, Cartagena JC, Engel J. Treatment of feline mammary tumours using chemotherapy, surgery and a COX-2 inhibitor drug (meloxicam): a retrospective study of 23 cases (2002-2007). Veterinary and Comparative Oncology. 2009;7(4):213-221.

Mammary cancer is the third most common cancer in cats. It affects mainly female cats and the mean age at diagnosis is 10-12 years. Unfortunately, 90% of mammary tumors in cats are malignant. These cancers are locally invasive and metastasize to distant locations. Treatment options include radical surgery and various chemotherapy protocols, used either alone or with surgery. However, high quality data on the best treatment approach is lacking. This article evaluates the efficacy of a treatment combination of a COX-2 inhibitor (meloxicam), chemotherapy and surgery in 23 cats with mammary adenocarcinoma. All cats underwent surgery followed by doxorubicin-based chemotherapy. Meloxicam was given long-term, starting the day after surgery. Median survival time was 460 days and the median disease-free interval was 269 days. The survival times are similar to other studies, and do not show an advantage of combining meloxicam with chemotherapy and surgery. Prospective trials with larger numbers of cats are needed to find the optimal treatment for feline mammary cancer. [SL]

Related articles:
McNeill CJ, Sorenmo KU, Shofer FS, et al. Evaluation of adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy for the treatment of feline mammary carcinoma. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 2009;23(1):123-129.

Novosad CA, Bergman PJ, O'Brien M G, et al. Retrospective evaluation of adjunctive doxorubicin for the treatment of feline mammary gland adenocarcinoma: 67 cases. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. March-April 2006;42(2):110-120.

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Borrego JF, Cartagena JC, Engel J. Treatment of feline mammary tumours using chemotherapy, surgery and a COX-2 inhibitor drug (meloxicam): a retrospective study of 23 cases (2002-2007). Veterinary and Comparative Oncology. 2009;7(4):213-221.

Mammary cancer is the third most common cancer in cats. It affects mainly female cats and the mean age at diagnosis is 10-12 years. Unfortunately, 90% of mammary tumors in cats are malignant. These cancers are locally invasive and metastasize to distant locations. Treatment options include radical surgery and various chemotherapy protocols, used either alone or with surgery. However, high quality data on the best treatment approach is lacking. This article evaluates the efficacy of a treatment combination of a COX-2 inhibitor (meloxicam), chemotherapy and surgery in 23 cats with mammary adenocarcinoma. All cats underwent surgery followed by doxorubicin-based chemotherapy. Meloxicam was given long-term, starting the day after surgery. Median survival time was 460 days and the median disease-free interval was 269 days. The survival times are similar to other studies, and do not show an advantage of combining meloxicam with chemotherapy and surgery. Prospective trials with larger numbers of cats are needed to find the optimal treatment for feline mammary cancer. [SL]

Related articles:
McNeill CJ, Sorenmo KU, Shofer FS, et al. Evaluation of adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy for the treatment of feline mammary carcinoma. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 2009;23(1):123-129.

Novosad CA, Bergman PJ, O'Brien M G, et al. Retrospective evaluation of adjunctive doxorubicin for the treatment of feline mammary gland adenocarcinoma: 67 cases. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. March-April 2006;42(2):110-120.

Morre on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
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New for 2010: Subscribe to our e-newsletter

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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

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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