Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse losing weight and very tired - signs of cancer?
By McKenzie, E C et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·1997·School of Veterinary Studies, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Gastric squamous cell carcinoma in three horses.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Three horses were diagnosed with gastric squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer that affects the stomach. All of them showed signs of weight loss, stopped eating, and were very tired. One horse also had trouble breathing. Blood tests revealed low protein levels and signs of inflammation, and two of the horses were mildly anemic. The cancer had spread from the stomach to other areas in the abdomen, and two of the horses had cancerous growths in the chest area as well. Unfortunately, the prognosis for these horses is concerning due to the advanced nature of the disease.
Abstract
Gastric squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed in three horses. Clinical signs observed in all cases were weight loss, anorexia and lethargy. Respiratory signs were prominent in one case. All three horses had depressed albumin and elevated globulin and fibrinogen concentrations. Two horses were mildly anaemic. Inflammatory exudates were present in peritoneal cavities in all cases, and cytological evaluation provided a positive diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma in two cases. Pleural fluid samples taken from two cases were also classified as inflammatory exudates, but no neoplastic cells were detected on initial examination. In all cases the neoplasms had arisen from the oesophageal region of the stomach, and had metastised throughout the abdomen. Two cases had metastatic lesions within the pleural cavity.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9412445/