Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Survival factors in cats with oral cancer after radiation therapy
By Yoshikawa, H et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2016·Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Assessment of predictive molecular variables in feline oral squamous cell carcinoma treated with stereotactic radiation therapy.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with oral squamous cell carcinoma (a type of mouth cancer) received stereotactic radiation therapy to help manage their symptoms. While the average survival time was about 106 days, and many cats showed quick improvement, the overall success rate was around 38.5%. Cats with more advanced tumor characteristics had shorter survival times, and female cats tended to do better than males. Although the treatment had minimal immediate side effects, some cats experienced complications that affected their quality of life. This therapy is mainly recommended for palliative care to improve comfort.
People also search for: cat mouth cancer treatment · feline oral squamous cell carcinoma prognosis · stereotactic radiation therapy for cats
Abstract
This study evaluated molecular characteristics that are potentially prognostic in cats with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) that underwent stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT). Survival time (ST) and progression-free interval (PFI) were correlated with mitotic index, histopathological grades, Ki67 and epidermal growth factor receptor expressions, tumour microvascular density (MVD), and tumour oxygen tension (pO(2)). Median ST and PFI were 106 and 87 days, respectively (n = 20). Overall response rate was 38.5% with rapid improvement of clinical symptoms in many cases. Patients with higher MVD or more keratinized SCC had significantly shorter ST or PFI than patients with lower MVD or less keratinized SCC (P = 0.041 and 0.049, respectively). Females had significantly longer PFI and ST than males (P ≤ 0.016). Acute toxicities were minimal. However, treatment-related complications such as fractured mandible impacted quality of life. In conclusion, SRT alone should be considered as a palliative treatment. MVD and degree of keratinization may be useful prognostic markers.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23815402/