Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Survival and treatment outcomes for cats with limb bone tumors
By Kimura, Shogo et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2026·1Capital City Specialty and Emergency Animal Hospital, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnosis and clinical outcome of cats with primary appendicular bone tumors: 76 cases.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old domestic shorthair cat was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, after showing signs of pain and limping on the front leg. The cat underwent amputation of the affected leg and received chemotherapy, which significantly improved its survival time. Cats with osteosarcoma that do not have metastasis (spread of cancer) at diagnosis can expect a better outcome with this combined treatment approach. In this case, the cat had a median survival time of about 1,466 days after treatment, highlighting the importance of early intervention and comprehensive care.
People also search for: cat limping · osteosarcoma treatment in cats · cat leg amputation recovery · cat cancer survival rates · chemotherapy for cats with cancer
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe outcomes in cats with primary appendicular bone tumors treated with complete or partial amputation, with or without adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed cats with histologically confirmed primary appendicular bone tumors treated surgically between 2008 and 2019. Data included signalment, clinical signs, tumor location, preoperative imaging, amputation level, adjunctive therapy, histologic characteristics, and oncologic outcomes. RESULTS: 76 cats were included, with osteosarcoma being the most commonly diagnosed tumor. Median survival time (MST) for cats with osteosarcoma was 469 days, with 1- and 2-year survival rates of 56.8% and 40.4%, respectively. The MST for cats with chondrosarcoma was 1,302 days, with 1- and 2-year survival rates of 91.7% and 66.7%. Overall metastatic rate was 32.9%, and 36.2% for osteosarcoma specifically; scapular tumors had the highest metastatic rate (87.5%). Preoperative pulmonary metastasis significantly shortened MST in cats with osteosarcoma (152 vs 573 days). In cats with osteosarcoma without preoperative pulmonary metastasis, adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved MST (1,466 vs 440 days). Negative prognostic indicators for cats with osteosarcoma were increased age and presence of suspected metastasis at any time. CONCLUSIONS: Appendicular osteosarcoma in cats had a good prognosis following amputation alone, despite a higher metastatic rate than previously reported; however, adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved survival time in cats with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma. Appendicular chondrosarcoma had an excellent prognosis following definitive surgery alone. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Cats with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma at diagnosis should be treated with both definitive surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41962564/