O04 - Clinical Outcomes in Cats with Renal Carcinoma Undergoing Nephrectomy: A Retrospective Study

Abstract: Background:




Feline renal carcinomas (RC) are uncommonly encountered. Limited information regarding clinical presentation, post-surgical outcomes, and survival times are available.




Hypothesis/Objectives:

The purpose of this multi-institutional, retrospective study was to describe the presenting features and clinical outcomes of cats with RC treated with nephrectomy.

Animals:

Thirty-six client-owned cats were included.

Methods:

Medical records from participating institutions were searched to identify cats that underwent nephrectomy and had a histopathologic diagnosis of RC.

Results:

The most common presenting complaints were weight loss (n = 13) and hyporexia (n = 11). Twenty-eight cats survived to discharge (77.8%). Median progression free interval (PFI) could not be determined, as only 6 cats had suspected recurrence (16.7%) and 7 cats had suspected metastasis (19.4%). The median survival time (MST) for all cats was 203 days (95% CI: 84, 1379 days). When cases that died prior to discharge were excluded, MST increased to 1217 days (95% CI: 127, 1641 days). Preoperative erythrocytosis had a protective effect, as these patients had significantly longer MST (p = 0.006). Pre-surgical azotemia, renal tumor size, mitotic index, and tumor histologic subtype were not statistically prognostic.

Conclusion and clinical importance:

For cats surviving to discharge, prolonged survival times were possible. Due to varied post-operative treatment approaches, conclusions regarding the impact of chemotherapy could not be made. Further studies are necessary to elucidate other potential prognostic factors, the utility of adjuvant treatment, and to identify patients at-risk in the perioperative period.