Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with leukemia but no virus lives longer than expected
By Brodkin, Jennifer et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2026·Department of Internal Medicine (Brodkin), United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline leukemia virus-negative acute lymphoid B-cell aleukemic leukemia in a cat with prolonged survival.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 13-year-old cat was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia called acute lymphoid B-cell aleukemic leukemia, despite testing negative for feline leukemia virus. The cat showed signs of low blood cell counts and had unusual cells found in its liver and spleen. Initially, the cat was treated with a combination of chemotherapy drugs, which improved its condition. However, after a relapse, a different chemotherapy protocol was used, and the cat managed to survive for over a year after diagnosis. This case shows that cats with this type of leukemia can have a longer life with the right treatment.
People also search for: cat leukemia treatment · prolonged survival in cat leukemia · symptoms of cat leukemia · chemotherapy for cats with leukemia
Abstract
A 13-year-old feline leukemia virus-negative cat was diagnosed with acute lymphoid B-cell aleukemic leukemia. The diagnosis was based on the combination of pancytopenia, large and atypical round cells present on liver and splenic cytology, bone marrow cytology and histopathology showing a majority nucleated population of atypical blast cells, immunohistochemistry, and a lack of malignant lymphoblasts observed in the peripheral blood. The cat was initially treated with L-asparaginase, vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and prednisolone, which led to a resolution of the cytopenias. After relapse on Day 242, lomustine was first administered, followed by a modified protocol of vincristine, mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide, and prednisolone, due to progressive disease. A survival time exceeding 1 y following diagnosis was obtained. This case highlights both a rare, aleukemic form of acute lymphoid leukemia in a feline leukemia virus-negative cat and an atypically prolonged survival time. Key clinical message: Prolonged survival of cats with acute lymphoid aleukemic leukemia is possible with chemotherapy treatment.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41929732/