Intestinal Adenocarcinoma

Intestinal tumours account for less than 10% of all tumours in dogs and cats and 22% of gastrointestinal tumours in dogs and 35% in cats. Adenocardinoma/carcinoma is the most common malignant tumour in dogs and accounts for 17% of intestinal tumours in cats.

Signalment

• Dogs:
  • Mean age: 6-9 years
  • Minor male predisposition
  • Large breeds may predominate particularly collies and German Sheperds

• Cats:
  • Mean age: 10-12 years
  • There are conflicting reports of whether there is a minor male predisposition
  • Siamese may have a breed predisposition

Description

• No organism or chemical agent has been identified that will induce spontaneous intestinal adenocarcinoma.
• The gross appearance of colorectal adenocarcinomas vary from pedunculated, particularly in the distal rectum, cobblestone, in especially the middle rectum or annular, also usually in the middle recutum and may also have associations with tumour behaviour and prognosis.
• The most frequent sites of metastasis are the mesenteric lymph nodes.