Outcomes in 40 cats with discrete intermediate‐ or large‐cell gastrointestinal lymphoma masses treated with surgical mass resection (2005‐2015)

• Published in: Veterinary surgery 2019-10, Vol.48 (7), p.1218-1228
• Main Authors: Tidd, Kathleen S., Durham, Amy C., Brown, Dorothy C., Velovolu, Sridhar, Nagel, Jonathan, Krick, Erika L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Cat Diseases - surgery; Cats; Chemotherapy; Confidence intervals; Female; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms - surgery; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms - veterinary; Historical account; Humans; Intestine; Lymphoma; Lymphoma - surgery; Lymphoma - veterinary; Male; Perioperative Period; Retrospective Studies; Surgery; Survival; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0161-3499; 1532-950X
• DOI: 10.1111/vsu.13281

Objective To report outcomes in cats with discrete intermediate‐ and large‐cell gastrointestinal (GI) lymphoma masses after surgical resection. Study design Retrospective clinical case series. Animals Forty client‐owned cats in which intermediate‐ or large‐cell GI lymphoma was diagnosed. Methods Records of 40 cats in which discrete intermediate‐ or large‐cell GI lymphoma masses were diagnosed between 2005 and 2015 were reviewed. Cats were included if they survived curative intent surgery and had a known outcome for at least two weeks. Postoperative death was permitted. Data collected included anatomic site, surgical margins, lymphoma subtype, chemotherapy use, and postoperative and long‐term outcome (beyond two weeks). Results Affected sites consisted of small intestines (n = 23), large intestines (n = 9), and stomach (n = 8). Thirty‐six of 40 cats survived to discharge, and 31 cats were alive at suture removal. Median long‐term follow‐up of 22 cats was 111 days (range, 16‐1407). Cats that survived to suture removal had a median survival time (MST) of 185 days (95% confidence interval: 72‐465). Cats with large intestinal masses lived longer than those with small intestinal or gastric masses whether all cats (MST, 675, 64, 96 days, respectively; P = .03) or only those surviving to suture removal were considered. Complete surgical resection (n = 20) was positively associated with survival (370 vs 83 days, P = .016). Conclusion Most cats in this population survived the perioperative period, with MST similar to those reported historically with medical management. Clinical significance Surgical resection may be a reasonable consideration in cats with solitary lymphoma, particularly those with large intestinal masses.