Long‐term survival after surgical removal of an intermediate grade pancreatic carcinoma in a cat

Abstract

Abstract An 11‐year‐old male neutered domestic shorthair cat presented with a history of acute diarrhoea, decreased appetite, and a palpable abdominal mass. Following clinical staging and histopathological examination after partial pancreatectomy, the cat was diagnosed with a completely excised intermediate grade pancreatic carcinoma without evidence of metastasis. The cat recovered well postoperatively, and the owner declined adjuvant treatment. Two years after surgical excision the cat developed a squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal planum. He was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus a year later. Both conditions were treated with imiquimod cream, strontium and insulin. The patient was euthanized 3 years and 9 months (1362 days) following the diagnosis of his pancreatic carcinoma due to general decline thought to be unrelated to his pancreatic cancer. A literature review indicated that prolonged survival in feline pancreatic carcinoma is most frequently associated with solitary, cystic, well‐differentiated tumours without metastasis, managed through surgery and adjunctive therapy.