Feline large-cell lymphoma following previous treatment for small-cell gastrointestinal lymphoma: incidence, clinical signs, clinicopathologic data, treatment of a secondary malignancy, response and survival

Abstract

Objectives Lymphoma is a common and clinically important malignancy in cats. Development of a second malignancy has been reported previously in 7–14% of cats with small-cell gastrointestinal (GI) lymphoma. The aim of our study was to describe the incidence, clinical signs, clinicopathologic data, response to therapy and outcomes in cats diagnosed with large-cell lymphoma following treatment for small-cell GI lymphoma. Methods Medical records from a single referral specialty hospital were reviewed for all cats with lymphoma diagnosed between 2008 and 2017. The cases with a diagnosis of small-cell GI lymphoma followed by a diagnosis of any large-cell lymphoma and complete outcome data were selected for further review. Results Seven hundred and forty cats with a diagnosis of lymphoma were identified. Twelve cats (12/121) treated for small-cell GI lymphoma followed by a diagnosis of any anatomic form of large cell lymphoma were identified. Nine cats met the study inclusion criteria and were used in analyses. Mean event-free survival time from small-cell GI lymphoma diagnosis until diagnosis of large-cell lymphoma was 543 days, with a median survival time of 615 days. Mean event-free survival time from large-cell lymphoma to death was 55 days, with a median survival time of 24.5 days. Hematocrit, albumin and total protein were significantly decreased when cats developed large-cell lymphoma compared with their values at the time of small-cell lymphoma diagnosis. Conclusions and relevance Large-cell lymphoma occurred in 9.9% (12/121) of cats treated for small-cell GI lymphoma. Feline practitioners should include large-cell lymphoma on their list of differential diagnoses in cats diagnosed with small-cell GI lymphoma developing weight loss, anemia, hypoalbuminemia and hypoproteinemia.