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Intestinal tumours are uncommon accounting for less than 10% of all tumours in dogs and cats and 22% of gastrointestinal tumours in dogs and 35% in cats. It has been reported that the jejunum, ileum and caecum are the most frequent sites affected in the dog. Intestinal tumours in dogs and cats are usually malignant, [[Intestine Proliferative - Pathology #Adenocarcinoma|Adenocarcinoma]]/carcinoma being the most common malignant tumour in dogs and accounts for 17% of intestinal tumours in cats.

Intestinal tumours are uncommon accounting for less than 10% of all tumours in dogs and cats and 22% of gastrointestinal tumours in dogs and 35% in cats. It has been reported that the jejunum, ileum and caecum are the most frequent sites affected in the dog. Intestinal tumours in dogs and cats are usually malignant, [[Intestine Proliferative - Pathology #Adenocarcinoma|Adenocarcinoma]]/carcinoma being the most common malignant tumour in dogs and accounts for 17% of intestinal tumours in cats.

==Signalment==

==Signalment==

===Exploratory Laparotomy===

===Exploratory Laparotomy===

Definitive diagnosis requires an excisional biopsy. All abdominal tissues should be assessed and full thickness biopsies taken. Resection of the mass and intestinal anastomosis may be performed at this time.  

Definitive diagnosis requires an excisional biopsy. All abdominal tissues should be assessed and full thickness biopsies taken. Resection of the mass and intestinal anastomosis may be performed at this time.  

==Treatment==

==Treatment==

===Surgery===

===Surgery===

Surgical excision is advised as primary treatment for intestinal adenocarcinoma. Extraserosal invasion or adhesions may cause difficulties and care must be taken to ensure there is no iatrogenic damage to the biliary and pancreatic ducts for duodenal lesions. In the small intestine, wide local resection (4-8cm margins) can usually be achieved via enterectomy and anastomosis. Stapling and suturing by hand have been shown to be equally efficient for this procedure. If appropriate regional lymph nodes should also be removed. Large margins may be more difficult to achieve for colorectal lesions due to access issues.  

Surgical excision is advised as primary treatment for intestinal adenocarcinoma. Extraserosal invasion or adhesions may cause difficulties and care must be taken to ensure there is no iatrogenic damage to the biliary and pancreatic ducts for duodenal lesions. In the small intestine, wide local resection (4-8cm margins) can usually be achieved via enterectomy and anastomosis. Stapling and suturing by hand have been shown to be equally efficient for this procedure. If appropriate regional lymph nodes should also be removed. Large margins may be more difficult to achieve for colorectal lesions due to access issues. Perioperative complications include peritonitis and sepsis.  

 

Local excision of colorectal adenocarcinoma has a median survival time of 22 months while the use of stool softeners alone has a median survival time of 15 months.  

===Adjuvant Chemotherapy===

===Adjuvant Chemotherapy===

Doxirubicin has been shown to significantly improve survival times for cats with colonic adenocarcinoma with median survival times of 56 and 280 days for those not receving and those receiving chemotherapy respectively. No other evidence exists to confirm the benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy in dogs or cats.

Doxirubicin has been shown to significantly improve survival times for cats with colonic adenocarcinoma with median survival times of 56 and 280 days for those not receving and those receiving chemotherapy respectively. No other evidence exists to confirm the benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy in dogs or cats. Piroxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug may have beneficial effects for rectal malignancy.

===Radiotherapy===

===Radiotherapy===

Rarely reported due to concerns of intolerance of surrounding tissues, in addition it cannot be relied upon that the same target will be irradiated each day due to intestinal mobility.

Rarely reported due to concerns of intolerance of surrounding tissues leading to for example perforations and adhesions, in addition it cannot be relied upon that the same target will be irradiated each day due to intestinal mobility. There has been a report of single high-dose iradiation being used for anorectal adenocarcinomas which had been surgically exposed and no long-term side effects were observed.

 

==Prognosis==

==Prognosis==

If no metastasis has occurred long term survival may be achieved following excision of the tumour. The rate of metastasis of adenocarcinoma to the local lymph nodes for both dogs and cats is approximately 50%. Without surgical intervention the mean survival of dogs with small intestinal adenocarcinoma is 12 days and reports varying from 114 days to 7-10 months with surgical treatment. Intensity of treatment is prognostic for colorectal tumours with palliative care carrying a poorer prognosis than local excision. In one study males with small intestinal adenocarcinoma had a significantly better prognosis than females with the same disease though the sample size was small.  

If no metastasis has occurred long term survival may be achieved following wide excision of a well differentiated small intestinal tumour. The rate of metastasis of adenocarcinoma to the local lymph nodes for both dogs and cats is approximately 50%. Without surgical intervention the mean survival of dogs with small intestinal adenocarcinoma is 12 days and reports varying from 114 days to 7-10 months with surgical treatment. Intensity of treatment is prognostic for colorectal tumours with palliative care carrying a poorer prognosis than local excision. In one study males with small intestinal adenocarcinoma had a significantly better prognosis than females with the same disease though the sample size was small. Local excision of colorectal adenocarcinoma has a median survival time of 22 months while the use of stool softeners alone has a median survival time of 15 months.

 

 

==References==

==References==

* Withrow S.J, Vail D.M (2007), Cancer of the Gastrointestinal Tract, in Withrow and MacEwen's Small Animal Clinical Oncology, fourth edition, Missouri, Saunders Elsevier, pp 491-501

* Withrow S.J, Vail D.M (2007), Cancer of the Gastrointestinal Tract, in Withrow and MacEwen's Small Animal Clinical Oncology, fourth edition, Missouri, Saunders Elsevier, pp 491-501