Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Spindle cell skin cancer on cat faces - signs and diagnosis
By Rodríguez Guisado, Francisco et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2021·16750University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cutaneous Spindle Cell Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Cats: Clinical, Histological, and Immunohistochemical Study.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 18 cats, averaging about 12 years old, were diagnosed with cutaneous spindle cell squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer primarily found on their faces, especially the ears and around the eyes. Symptoms included visible tumors on the skin, which were linked to sun exposure. Most cats had successful outcomes, with 78% not experiencing any recurrence of the tumors after treatment. However, a few cases did recur or led to euthanasia due to aggressive progression. Treatment effectiveness varied based on the tumor's location and characteristics.
People also search for: cat skin cancer treatment · squamous cell carcinoma in cats · cat ear tumor symptoms · feline cancer prognosis · cat facial tumors
Abstract
This study describes the clinical and pathological characteristics of cutaneous spindle cell squamous cell carcinoma (SCSCC) in 18 cats. The average age of the cats was 11.8 ± 2.7 years, and all tumors were located in the facial skin, mainly affecting the pinna (13/18, 72%), followed by the periorbital area (4/18, 22%) and the dorsal muzzle (1/18, 6%). Tumors were composed of fusiform neoplastic cells with moderate atypia arranged in solid sheets or fascicles with foci of squamous differentiation. A panel of antibodies against cytokeratins, vimentin, S-100 protein, NSE, GFAP, Melan A, SMA, desmin, CD18, CD31, and p63 was used to help differentiate SCSCC from other spindle cell malignancies. SCSCCs expressed CK5/6 (17/18, 94%), AE1/AE3 (15/18, 83%), and p63 protein (18/18, 100%), but there was no immunolabeling for CK8/18. A role for sunlight exposure in the pathogenesis of the tumors was suggested by changes indicative of actinic keratosis, the location of the tumors in dorsal areas, and the absence of histomorphologic features of papillomavirus infection. Recurrence was not recorded in 14/18 cases (78%) during a follow-up period of 7 to 25 months. Three of 18 (17%) tumors recurred or led to humane euthanasia due to local progression, and one case (5%) had regional lymph node metastasis. Clinical outcome varied with cutaneous location, mitotic count, and invasion of surgical margins; thus, SCSCCs with a more aggressive behavior were located in the periorbital area (4/4 cases), had ≥14 mitoses in 10 high-power fields (2.37 mm) (4/4 cases), and showed invasion of surgical margins (3/4 cases).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33577428/