ELECTROCHEMOTHERAPY WITH INTRAVENOUS BLEOMYCIN FOR TREATMENT OF FELINE SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA: EXPERIENCE ON 12 CATS

摘要

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant electrochemotherapy (ECT) with intravenous bleomycin for the treatment of skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head in cats.Twelve client-owned cats with histological diagnosis of SCC of the head were enrolled. The owners elected to carry out ECT as an alternative treatment to surgery. All cats were staged by physical examination, fine-needle aspiration of mandibular lymph node (if palpable) and three-view thoracic X-rays. Complete blood cell count, serum biochemistry profile and urinalysis also were performed as the patients underwent general anesthesia as well. Cats with lymph node involvement or radiographic features of pulmonary metastases were excluded from this study. Clinical T stage was assigned on the basis of WHO criteria. The longest tumor diameter based on physical examination was used for clinical staging and follow-up.