Mammary cancer is the third most common cancer in cats. It affects mainly female cats and the mean age at diagnosis is 10-12 years. Unfortunately, 90% of mammary tumors in cats are malignant. These cancers are locally invasive and metastasize to distant locations. Treatment options include radical surgery and various chemotherapy protocols, used either alone or with surgery. However, high quality data on the best treatment approach is lacking. This article evaluates the efficacy of a treatment combination of a COX-2 inhibitor (meloxicam), chemotherapy and surgery in 23 cats with mammary adenocarcinoma. All cats underwent surgery followed by doxorubicin-based chemotherapy. Meloxicam was given long-term, starting the day after surgery. Median survival time was 460 days and the median disease-free interval was 269 days. The survival times are similar to other studies, and do not show an advantage of combining meloxicam with chemotherapy and surgery. Prospective trials with larger numbers of cats are needed to find the optimal treatment for feline mammary cancer. [SL]
Morre on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
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