canis - Articles
Pancreas: neoplasia of the exocrine pancreas (adenocarcinoma)
Introduction
- Cause: rare as primary (<0.5% of all cancers) neoplasia of acinar or duct cells in central portion of pancreas. Usually occur in older animals, specifically Airdale terriers Airedale Terrier.
- Signs: non-specific - vomiting, fever, weakness, variable abdominal pain.
- Diagnosis: radiography, ultrasound, laparotomy and tissue biopsy.
- Treatment: symptomatic, not curative.
- Prognosis: very poor - often locally invasive and metastasized at presentation. If diagnosed at exploratory laparotomy; intra-operative euthanasia should be considered.
Presenting signs
- Non-specific signs of gastrointestinal disease:
- Weight loss Weight loss: overview.
- Lethargy.
- Inappetance.
- Vomiting Vomiting
- Dehydration.
- Abdominal pain.
May mimic pancreatitis Pancreatitis: acute.
- Weakness.
- Diarrhea.
- Icterus.
Extrahepatic bile duct obstruction may cause:
- Ascites.
- Jaundice.
- Abdominal effusion.
Acute presentation
- Collapse.
- Peritonitis Peritonitis.
- Intestinal obstruction.
- Severe pain, localizable to anterior abdominal segment on palpation.
Age predisposition
- Average age 9 years.
Breed/Species predisposition
- Airedale Terriers Airedale Terrier.
- Spaniels Cavalier King Charles Spaniel King Charles Spaniel American Cocker Spaniel Clumber Spaniel English Cocker Spaniel English Springer Spaniel Spaniel: Field Spaniel: Irish Water Spaniel: Sussex Spaniel: Welsh Springer Tibetan Spaniel.
Cost considerations
- Moderately expensive diagnostic procedures necessary for definitive diagnosis.
Pathogenesis
Etiology
- Adenocarcinoma of pancreatic duct or acinar cells.
Pathophysiology
- Malignant tumor arising from cells of ducts or acinae → pancreatic enlargement ( → abdominal mass +/- pain, intestinal obstruction); abnormal function ( → maldigestion, anorexia, weight loss); biliary obstruction ( → jaundice).
- Metastasis → bone ( → pathological fractures) and/or soft tissues.
- Some tumors → increased gastrin secretion → inappropriate acid secretion by stomach → gastroduodenitis.
Timecourse
- Rapid metastasis - usually already occurred at time of presentation.
Diagnosis
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Treatment
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Prevention
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Outcomes
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Further Reading
Publications
Refereed papers
- Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
- Lamb C R, Simpson K W, Boswood A & Mathewman L A (1995) Ultrasonography of pancreatic neoplasia in the dog: a retrospective review of 16 cases. Vet Rec 137 (3), 65-68 PubMed.
- Anderson N V & Johnson K K (1967) Pancreatic carcinoma in the dog. JAVMA 150 (3), 286-95 PubMed.
Other sources of information
- Williams D A (1996)The Pancreas. In:Strombeck's Small Animal Gastroenterology.W Guildfordet al(eds), Saunders W B, Philadelphia, pp 381-411.
- Bunch S E (1992)diseases of the exocrine pancreas.In:Handbook of Small Animal Practice.Ed: R V Morgan. 2nd edn. Churchill: Livingstone, NY, USA.
- Withrow S J (1989) Tumours of the gastrointestinal system: exocrine pancreas.In:Clinical Veterinary Oncology. Eds S J Withrow and E G MacEwen. Lippincott, Philadelphia. p 192.