Prognostic factors in cats with squamous cell carcinoma treated with electrochemotherapy.

Nutritional status and complete treatment response strongly predict survival in cats with SCC treated with electrochemotherapy.

This prospective study evaluated prognostic factors in 35 cats with histopathologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) treated with electrochemotherapy (ECT) following intravenous bleomycin administration (15,000 IU/m²). The cohort consisted predominantly of advanced-stage tumors (68.6% T3-T4), yet achieved excellent response rates with 100% objective response (65.7% complete response, 34.3% partial response). Median overall and progression-free survival were 300 and 285 days, respectively. Multivariable analysis identified three significant prognostic factors: tumor diameter >2.3 cm correlated with increased toxicity (OR 23.1) and partial response (OR 36.6); reduced muscle and body condition scores independently predicted disease progression (HR 4.69) and mortality (HR 4.68); partial treatment response was the strongest predictor of both progression (HR 14.98) and death (HR 22.24). These findings establish nutritional status, treatment response quality, and tumor size as critical prognostic variables in feline SCC managed with ECT, supporting the importance of comprehensive patient assessment and aggressive nutritional support.

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