Clinical features, survival times and COX-1 and COX-2 expression in cats with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder treated with meloxicam

Records of 11 cats with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, which had been treated with meloxicam, were reviewed for signalment, duration of clinical signs prior to diagnosis, results of diagnostic imaging, whether or not concurrent surgery was performed and survival. Immunohistochemical expression of cyclo-oxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) was assessed in the tumours of seven cats. Tumour location varied greatly. The cats had a mean age of 13 years. Three cats had a previous diagnosis of feline idiopathic cystitis of up to 2008 days duration. Ten of the cats showed clinical improvement (reduction of haematuria and/or dysuria), with a mean survival time (MST) of 311 days (range 10-1064); 1-year survival of 50%. All seven bladders assessed for COX staining were COX-1 positive and five were COX-2 positive. The MST for the COX-2-positive cats was 123 days, the MST for the COX-2-negative cases was 375 days.