Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline visceral hemangiosarcoma causes anemia and breathing trouble
By Culp, W T N et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2008·Department of Clinical Studies, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline visceral hemangiosarcoma.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 26 cats diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called visceral hemangiosarcoma (HSA) showed serious symptoms like lethargy, loss of appetite, breathing problems, and even collapse. Most of these cats were found to be anemic, and many had tumors in multiple organs, including the liver and intestines. Unfortunately, the prognosis for these cats was poor, with many needing to be euthanized shortly after diagnosis. Only a few received chemotherapy, and those that survived had a median lifespan of about 77 days after diagnosis.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Feline visceral hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is an uncommon tumor, and the clinical progression and outcome are rarely reported. HYPOTHESIS: The prognosis of feline visceral HSA is poor because of severe clinical signs, anemia, and a high rate of metastasis. ANIMALS: The medical records of 26 client-owned cats with visceral HSA were reviewed. METHODS: Multi-institutional retrospective study. RESULTS: The most common historical findings and clinical signs included lethargy, anorexia, respiratory difficulty, collapse, and vocalizing. Eighty-two percent of cats were anemic, and aspartate transaminase was increased in 53% of the study population. Metastatic lung disease was noted in 33% of affected cats. In 75% of the cats, abdominal ultrasonography identified a specific location of HSA. However, ultrasound identification of all multifocal lesions was successful only in 3/9 cats (33%). Tumor location was identified in the following organs: liver (35%), small intestine (31%), large intestine (31%), abdominal lymph node (31%), mesentery (27%), spleen (23%), lung (19%), omentum (12%), brain (8%), pancreas (8%), and diaphragm (8%). Multifocal HSA was noted in 77% of cats. Three cats received adjuvant chemotherapy (doxorubicin). Seventy-one percent of euthanized cats were euthanized within 1 day of diagnosis. The median survival time of the remaining cats (n = 6) was 77 days (range, 23-296 days). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Feline visceral HSA is most often multifocal at the time of diagnosis. The prognosis appears poor, and the number of cats receiving chemotherapy is low.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18289302/