The prevalence of malignant neoplasia in feline renal-transplant recipients

Abstract

Objective - To determine the prevalence of malignant neoplasia in a group of feline renal-transplant recipients (FRTR). Study Design - Retrospective clinical study. Animals - Ninety-five consecutive client-owned FRTR treated at the University of California, Davis, between 1987 and 1997. Methods - Medical records of the 95 cats were examined. The time to occurrence and type of malignant neoplasia, if present, was determined. Results - Nine of 95 cats (9.5%) developed apparently de novo malignant neoplasia after receiving renal allografts. The predominant type of neoplasm was lymphoma. The median time to diagnosis of neoplasia in these 9 patients was 9.0 months after transplantation, whereas the median survival time was 14.0 months after transplantation. This compares with a median survival time of 22 months after transplantation for cats that died for reasons other than development of malignant neoplasia. Conclusions - Although these transplant recipients were not compared with a control population, it would appear that, as in humans, malignant neoplasia is encountered with greater-than-expected frequency after renal transplantation and immunosuppression in cats. Clinical Significance - The apparent propensity to develop malignant neoplasia after renal transplantation and immunosuppression in cats is a fatal complication of which owners and clinicians should be aware. © Copyright 2002 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.