Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Thymic squamous cell carcinoma in a cat.
- Journal:
- Open veterinary journal
- Year:
- 2022
- Authors:
- Looi, Richard Chung Yi et al.
- Affiliation:
- Surgery Department · Australia
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old male neutered domestic short hair cat was experiencing low energy, eating less than usual, and losing weight. After imaging tests showed a mass in the chest area, the cat was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called thymic squamous cell carcinoma. The treatment involved surgery to remove the mass, followed by chemotherapy with a drug called carboplatin given directly into the chest two weeks later. Unfortunately, four weeks after the surgery, the cat had to be put to sleep because the cancer returned and was causing serious breathing problems. This case suggests that the combination of surgery and this type of chemotherapy may not be effective for this particular cancer.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The most common cranial mediastinal masses affecting dogs and cats include lymphoma and thymic epithelial tumors. In this report, a cat with a cranial mediastinal mass was diagnosed with a thymic carcinoma subtype squamous cell carcinoma, which has rarely been reported in cats. Management of this subtype with a combination of surgery and chemotherapy has so far not been reported. This case report describes the treatment with surgical management followed by intracavitary carboplatin. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 12-year-old male neutered domestic short hair cat was referred for lethargy, hyporexia, and weight loss, and was diagnosed with a cranial mediastinal mass radiographically. Initial cytology through fine needle aspirates was suggestive of carcinoma. Computed tomography was performed which did not show evidence of other primary tumor sources or metastases, and hence surgical resection was recommended. Intraoperative findings revealed local invasion of the surrounding tissues, including major vasculature and nerves, although histopathological assessment showed no local lymph node involvement. Intracavitary carboplatin chemotherapy was administered 2 weeks postsurgery. The patient was humanely euthanized 4 weeks postsurgery due to evidence of local recurrence causing significant respiratory compromise. CONCLUSION: A combination of surgical excision as well as intracavitary carboplatin does not seem to be effective for the treatment of this thymic carcinoma subtype, with evidence of early recurrence and return of clinical signs.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36589403/