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  Discussion on Research Study: Stomach Cancer in Horses
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DrO

Posted on Thursday, Sep 10, 2009 - 11:05 am:

This is a review of 24 horses where the eventual diagnosis was stomach cancer. In this study stomach cancer is often characterised as a middle age to older horse with a long term decreased appetite and chronic weight loss. The majority of these are metastasized squamous cell carcinoma and survival time following diagnosis short. For more on the diagnosis of chronic weight loss see Overview of Chronic Weight Loss
DrO

J Vet Intern Med. 2009 Jul 28.
Gastric Neoplasia in Horses.

Taylor SD, Haldorson GJ, Vaughan B, Pusterla N.

Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA;

Background: Gastric neoplasia of horses is incompletely described. Objective: Provide history, clinical signs, and clinicopathological and pathological findings associated with gastric neoplasia in horses. Animals: Twenty-four horses with gastric neoplasia. Methods: Retrospective study. History, clinical signs, and clinicopathological and pathologic findings in horses diagnosed histologically with gastric neoplasia were reviewed. Results: Horses ranged in age from 9 to 25 years (median 18 years at presentation). There was no apparent breed or sex predisposition. The most common presenting complaints were inappetance (17/24), weight loss (14/24), lethargy (7/24), hypersalivation (7/24), colic (5/24), and fever (5/24). The most consistent clinical signs were tachypnea (10/19), decreased borborygmi (8/19), and low body weight (7/17). Useful diagnostic tests included rectal examination, routine blood analysis, gastroscopy, abdominocentesis, and transabdominal ultrasound examination. Anemia was the most common hematologic abnormality encountered (7/19), and hypercalcemia of malignancy was seen in 4/16 horses. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common tumor identified (19/24), and was most often (14/19) found as a single ulcerated, necrotic mass in the nonglandular portion of the stomach. Other gastric neoplasms encountered were leiomyoma (n=2), mesothelioma (n=1), adenocarcinoma (n=1), and lymphoma (n=1). Metastatic neoplasia was found in 18/23 horses. The median time from onset of clinical signs to death was 4 weeks, and all horses died or were euthanized because of gastric neoplasia. Conclusions: Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common primary gastric neoplasia in horses. The survival time after diagnosis of gastric neoplasia in horses is short.
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