Clinical signs, treatments, and outcome in cats with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder: 20 cases (1990-2004).
OBJECTIVE
To characterize demographics and clinical signs and evaluate outcomes of treatments in cats with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder.


METHODS
Retrospective case series.


METHODS
20 cats with TCC.


METHODS
Medical records of 20 cats with a bladder mass identified as a TCC that were examined at 2 veterinary institutions between 1990 and 2004 were evaluated. Signalment, treatments, and outcome were assessed.


RESULTS
Breeds included domestic short hair (n=14), long hair (2), and medium hair (2) cats, Siamese (1), and Abyssinian (1). All cats had been neutered at an early age (< 1 year old; 13 neutered males and 7 spayed females). The median age at diagnosis of TCC was 15.2 years. The trigone region was affected in 9 cats. Treatments included piroxicam administration, chemotherapy, or surgery as single interventions or in combination; 6 cats were not treated. At the time of diagnosis, 3 cats had pulmonary metastasis and 1 cat had metastasis to local lymph nodes. Median survival time for all 20 cats was 261 days. Nearly all deaths were attributable to progressive disease in the urinary tract. Five cats were lost to follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
In cats, TCC of the urinary bladder appears to be a rare and aggressive disease that is more prevalent in male cats and frequently develops at sites distant from the trigone (unlike TCC in dogs). Nevertheless, initial clinical signs of TCC in cats in this study were similar to those reported for affected dogs.
Wilson
Heather M
HM
Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Chun
Ruthanne
R
Larson
Victoria S
VS
Kurzman
Ilene D
ID
Vail
David M
DM
D000818:Animals; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002415:Cats; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*