The objective of this paper was to evaluate the efficacy of a hypofractionated radiation protocol for feline facial squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Twenty-five histologically confirmed SCCs in 15 cats were treated with four fractions of 7.6-10Gy each, with 1 week intervals. The equipment used was a linear accelerator Clinac 2100 delivering electron beam of 4 or 6MeV, and a bolus of 5 or 10mm was used in all lesions. Of the lesions, 44% were staged as T4, 16% as T3, 8% as T2 and 32% as T1. Of the irradiated lesions, 40% had complete response, 12% had partial response and 48% had no response (NR) to the treatment. For T1 tumors, 62.5% had complete remission. Mean overall survival time was 224 days. Owners requested euthanasia of cats having NR to the treatment. Mean disease free time was 271 days. Side effects observed were skin erythema, epilation, ulceration and conjunctivitis, which were graded according to Veterinary Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (VRTOG) toxicity criteria. Response rates found in this study (52%) were lower when compared to other protocols, probably due to technique differences, such as fractionation schedule, bolus thickness and energy penetration depth. However, the hypofractionated radiation protocol was considered safe for feline facial SCC. Modifications of this protocol are being planned with the objective of improving the cure rates in the future.

Mast cell tumors (MCTs) are hematopoietic neoplasms composed of mast cells. It is highly common in dogs and is extremely important in the veterinary oncology field. It represents the third most common tumor subtype, and is the most common malignant skin tumor in dogs, corresponding to 11% of skin cancer cases. The objective of this critical review was to present the report of the 2nd Consensus meeting on the Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment of Canine Cutaneous and Subcutaneous Mast Cell Tumors, which was organized by the Brazilian Association of Veterinary Oncology (ABROVET) in August 2021. The most recent information on cutaneous and subcutaneous mast cell tumors in dogs is presented and discussed.

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Background: Mammary tumors are extremely common in cats and have high metastatic rates with poor prognosis. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the disease free interval and survival in cats undergoing radical mastectomy as sole therapy.Materials, Methods & Results: Twenty cats with mammary tumors and no evidence of distant metastasis were studied. General health and concomitant diseases were assessed by clinical and hematological examination. Thoracic radiographs and abdominal ultrasonography were performed to evaluate thoracic and abdominal metastases. All cats underwent chain mastectomy, which was unilateral when tumor was present in one mammary chain, and bilateral in steps if tumors were present in both mammary chains. Intact cats were spayed. An elliptical incision was made around the mammary chain with a three centimeter margin around tumor. Regional lymph node was removed. Mean age was ten years, and 14 cats were mixed breed, three were Persian and two were Siamese. Fifteen cats were spayed at tumor diagnosis, but only three had been spayed before one year old. The inguinal mammary glands were the most affected, followed by abdominal and thoracic glands. Histopathology diagnosed well-differentiated adenocarcinoma in eight cases, moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma in nine cases, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma in two cases and carcinoma in situ in one case. Most tumors were grade II, and regional lymph node metastasis was present in two cases. Disease free interval ranged from 120 to 1800 days, with an average of 678 days. Four cats had tumor local recurrence and six developed lung metastasis. The survival time ranged from seven to 1800 days, with an average of 768 days. Twelve cats are still alive with no tumor recurrence.Discussion: The average age of onset of mammary carcinomas in cats was ten years old, similar to previous studies. Siamese cats have more risk of developing this disease, but mixed breed cats were frequent in this study. Intact or late spayed cats are predisposed to mammary tumors because of hormonal stimulation, the same was observed in this study. Inguinal and abdominal glands were most affected, similar to other reports. The histopathologic diagnosis was adenocarcinoma in most cases of this study, mostly grade II tumors, which was also observed in previous papers. Regional lymph nodes (axillary or inguinal) should always be removed during mastectomy in cats, as regional metastasis at diagnosis is common, even when not clinically palpable, as was observed in two cases. Distant metastasis occurs most often to the lungs, leading to severe dyspnea. In this study, four cats had local tumor recurrence and six developed lung metastasis. Aggressive and early surgical intervention is the treatment of choice for feline mammary tumors. Unlike dogs (where conservative mammary resections are appropriate in some cases), radical chain mastectomy is recommended for feline mammary tumors, as significantly reduces the risk of local recurrence. In this study, all animals underwent radical mastectomy, without previous cytology or biopsy. Survival is variable between studies, ranging from 220 to 1408 days. Several factors may be involved in disease free intervals and survival times, as tumor size, tumor histological grade, presence of metastasis at diagnosis, type of surgery performed, presence of concomitant diseases and adjuvant chemotherapy. In this study, mean survival time was 768 days and 12 cats are still alive and in follow-up, which may increase this number. This study supports that, if treated early and agressively, cats with malignant mammary tumors can have long survival after chain mastectomy.

A 9-month-old intact female Persian cat presented with recurrent pulmonary edema secondary to an elongated soft palate. Endoscopic evaluation of the pharynx and larynx showed that the elongated soft palate was overlying the epiglottis. Partial resection of the soft palate was performed and the cat showed no further respiratory signs. This report is the first description of elongated soft palate causing airway obstruction in a brachycephalic cat.