Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Electrochemotherapy treats skin mast cell tumors in cats successfully
By Holanda, André Gustavo Alves et al.·Published in Open veterinary journal·2025·Department of Surgery, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Successful treatment of cutaneous mast cell tumors in cats using electrochemotherapy: A case series.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old domestic shorthair cat with multiple skin tumors was treated successfully with electrochemotherapy (ECT) after surgery was deemed too risky. The cat had between 7 to 50 small tumors on its body, and after receiving ECT with a chemotherapy drug, all tumors disappeared completely. Follow-up showed no recurrence of the tumors for up to 810 days, although new lesions appeared in one cat after about 7 months. The treatment caused only mild swelling and some hair loss at the treatment site, making it a promising option for cats with skin tumors.
People also search for: cat skin tumors treatment · electrochemotherapy for cats · mast cell tumor in cats · cat tumor removal options
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cutaneous mast cell tumor (MCT) is one of the most common skin neoplasms in cats and typically exhibits clinically benign behavior. Multiple MCTs, recurrent tumors, or infiltrated lymph nodes are associated with a more guarded prognosis. Surgery is the treatment of choice. However, the presence of multiple or large tumors can make the procedure challenging. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is an effective local treatment, suitable for managing cutaneous or subcutaneous malignant tumors. This case series describes the first report of the use of ECT in the treatment of four cats with MCT. CASE DESCRIPTION: Three cats presented with multiple MCTs, ranging from 7 to 50 nodules measuring 0.2 to 1 cm over the head and trunk, and one cat with a large tumor on the head measuring 4.6 cm. None of the patients had macroscopic metastasis detected on complete staging. Based on the anatomic region and limitations of systemic treatment, we proposed the use of ECT with intravenous bleomycin (15,000 IU/m²) as an alternative approach, and complete resolution of the tumors was observed in all patients after treatment. No tumor recurrence was detected during the follow-up period (range: 210-810 days). However, one patient developed new lesions at day 210. Local toxicity induced by ECT was graded as 1 (mild swelling) on a 6-point arbitrary scale (grades 0-5), and alopecia and scar tissue were observed after complete tumor remission. The number of ECT sessions ranged from one to two, with intervals of 14 to 45 days between sessions. CONCLUSION: The use of ECT may be successfully applied as a viable alternative approach for solitary or multiple MCTs in feline patients as an alternative to surgery or in refractory cases, without significant toxicity, as observed in this case series report. Further research is warranted to support these preliminary findings
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41036372/