Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat survival after major jaw surgery for oral tumors
By Boston, Sarah E et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2020·Surgical Oncology, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Outcomes of eight cats with oral neoplasia treated with radical mandibulectomy.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 8 to 17-year-old cat with oral cancer underwent a major surgery called radical mandibulectomy, where a large part of the jaw was removed. After the surgery, most cats needed feeding tubes initially, but six of them were able to eat on their own afterward. While three cats experienced a return of the cancer, the others lived for over a year without recurrence, with some surviving as long as 1023 days post-surgery. This suggests that with proper care, cats can have good outcomes after this type of surgery for oral tumors.
People also search for: cat oral cancer treatment · cat jaw surgery recovery · cat feeding tube care · squamous cell carcinoma in cats · cat cancer survival rates
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report outcomes after radical mandibulectomy in cats. STUDY DESIGN: Multi-institutional retrospective study. ANIMALS: Eight cats were included. METHODS: Medical records were searched for cats with confirmed oral neoplasia treated with radical mandibulectomy. Data collected included demographics, surgical procedure, histopathological diagnosis, postoperative management, and outcomes. RESULTS: Ages ranged from 8 to 17 years. All cats had 75% to 90% of the mandible removed and feeding tubes placed. Seven cats had squamous cell carcinoma, and one cat had a giant cell tumor. Six cats ate on their own postoperatively. Three cats had local recurrence and tumor-related died at 136 and 291 days. Six cats had no recurrence, with survival times of 156, 465, 608, and 1023 days, and two cats were still alive at 316 and 461 days after surgery. The three long-term survivors died of causes unrelated to oral neoplasia. One cat died at 156 days due to aspiration of food material. The overall estimated mean survival time was 712 days. CONCLUSION: After radical mandibulectomy, independent food intake was achieved in 6 of eight cats, and four cats lived longer than one year. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Radical mandibulectomy should be considered for the treatment of extensive oral neoplasia in cats. Successful long-term outcomes are possible with aggressive supportive care perioperatively.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31738456/