Animals are often used as models to study how to best treat cancers in people. Because of this, we have made substantial advances in how to treat cancers in cats and dogs in recent years. While “cancer” is a scary diagnosis, many types of common feline cancers can be successfully treated or managed. Read on to learn everything you should know about cats and cancer.
Gastrointestinal lymphoma
The most commonly diagnosed cancer in cats is gastrointestinal lymphoma. Chronic vomiting that occurs off and on for months, weight loss, intermittent diarrhea, mild loss of appetite – all of these are potential signs of lymphoma of the gastrointestinal tract.
Lymphoma is a cancer that affects the lymph nodes, and cats seem to frequently get a variety that only affects their GI system. There are advantages to this scenario, because the cancer is somewhat contained, and these patients can be successfully treated for years. Giving steroid medications decreases the production of lymphocytes, which it the type of white blood cell that is rapidly multiplying in cases of lymphoma. Cats typically tolerate these medications much better than their canine counterparts do, and their symptoms can be successfully managed.
Squamous cell carcinoma
These cancers are typically very serious, often because of the locations they appear. While they can appear on the head, ears, and nose, they also appear under the tongue, making them nearly impossible to address surgically.
Squamous cell carcinomas happen in older cats, and when they’re in the mouth the first symptoms are often decreased appetite, difficulty chewing or swallowing, or excessive drooling. Often these patients are doing well otherwise, and for some of them life improves greatly with the installation of a feeding tube, which allows the pet parent to give adequate nutrition in a way that bypasses the painful mouth. Sometimes these cancers will respond to radiation therapy, which is now widely available at veterinary teaching hospitals and specialty centers.
If you have a white cat you can decrease the chances of it developing this cancer on the head and nose by keeping it out of the sun.
Cancers of the liver
Cats can get several different kinds of cancer in their livers, but the most common are cancers involving the tiny duct that delivers bile from the gall bladder to the small intestines, where it aids in the digestion of fats. These are aggressive cancers that quickly metastasize, or spread throughout the abdomen, often producing liver failure, fluid buildup within the abdominal cavity, and ultimately multiple organ failure
Unfortunately, these are rapidly progressive tumors with few treatment options. Diagnosis is typically made with ultrasound examination of the area, and examination of fluid collected with a needle.
Intestinal tumors
The GI tract seems to be a problematic system for cats, as many of them experience mild GI distress of one form or the other intermittently throughout their lives. Different from GI lymphoma, focal intestinal tumors typically grow from the muscular layer of the intestines, and become extremely problematic when they block passage of food through the GI system. Often these tumors are treated successfully with surgery, and many times the disease is completely addressed in this manner.
While it can be stressful to take your cat in to the veterinarian, it’s always best not to ignore chronic or frequent episodes of vomiting, diarrhea, or reduced appetite, even if your cat seems well otherwise. Determining the exact cause of the problems and addressing them can give your cat a chance for successful diagnosis and treatment.
Uveal melanoma
Cats have unusual-looking, beautiful eyes. If you notice a black spot on the iris, or colored-part, of your cat’s eye, it’s important to get it checked out right away, because it could be a serious form of cancer known as a melanoma.
Melanomas arise from the glands that produce the pigment melanin. There is also a benign growth that can occur in the same area – a uveal cyst – and your veterinarian or veterinary ophthalmologist should be able to distinguish between the two. Melanomas in this area often spread to other parts of the body, or cause glaucoma, which is extremely painful and leads to loss of vision.
If these tumors are detected early, they can often be successfully treated with special laser therapy, or removal of the eye. The cat will need to be monitored in the months after treatment to ensure that regrowth or spread does not occur.