Resolution of Paraneoplastic Alopecia Following Surgical Removal of a Pancreatic Carcinoma in a Cat
January 1999
in “
Journal of Small Animal Practice
”
Studysummary This case study of a cat with pancreatic carcinoma and paraneoplastic alopecia found that removing the internal tumor reversed hair loss, but symptoms reappeared as the cancer metastasized.
Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer
In 1999, a 13-year-old female neutered domestic longhaired cat with paraneoplastic alopecia and progressive weight loss underwent successful surgical removal of a pancreatic carcinoma, which led to the full regrowth of hair within 10 weeks. The initial examination did not reveal any metastases, but skin signs and weight loss returned after 18 weeks, and metastatic spread was confirmed postmortem. This case demonstrated that hair loss due to internal malignancies can be reversible with the excision of the tumor, providing a period of disease remission, although the cancer in this instance eventually metastasized.
