The outcomes of Swenson’s pull-through in six cats with colorectal adenocarcinoma

Abstract

Feline colorectal adenocarcinoma is a malignant tumor with a poor prognosis due to its locally invasive and metastatic nature. Surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment, but accessing distal colorectal lesions is often challenging due to pelvic anatomy. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, postoperative outcomes, and prognosis associated with Swenson’s pull-through procedure in feline patients with distal colorectal adenocarcinoma. Six cats with colorectal adenocarcinoma underwent tumor resection using Swenson’s pull-through technique were included. Clinical records were retrospectively reviewed to assess perioperative complications, completeness of resection, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). All tumors, with a resection margin of 2 cm, were involved the pelvic cavity, and the median tumor size was 2.0 cm. In all cases, the horizontal resection margins were histologically clear, and metastasis was histologically confirmed in the left colonic lymph nodes. Five cats experienced diarrhea as a short-term postoperative complication during hospitalization, which resolved within approximately 1 month. One cat developed colonic stenosis that was managed with balloon dilation. The median DFS and OS were 150 and 225 days, respectively. These findings suggest that Swenson’s pull-through is a feasible and effective surgical option for achieving local tumor control and symptom improvement in cats with distal colorectal adenocarcinoma.