It is common for caregivers to be startled when they notice a lump anywhere on a cat's body. Some ignore it for fear that it is some type of skin cancer in cats, but the truth is that not all lumps are synonymous with cancer and, in any case, they can be curable, for which detection and treatment instituted as soon as possible.
In this article on our site we talk about skin cancer in cats and explain why go to the vet if you notice any skin changes.
Types of tumors in cats
Lump detection in cats is a matter of concern for any caretaker. Not all the masses that we palpate are going to be tumors, there are also abscesses or swollen lymph nodes. But they all have to be examined by the veterinarian, precisely in order to obtain a diagnosis. By studying the cells present in the lump, it is possible to know for sure what it is. This cytology exam also gives us information about whether the cat's skin cancer is benign or malignant Cells can be removed by fine needle aspiration or the lump removed and sent a sample to the lab.
White cats and those over eight years of age are the most likely to develop skin cancer. For example, carcinoma in the cat's nose or ears is more common in white cats. It is called squamous cell carcinoma, it is related to the sunlight to which this type of cat is most exposed and it is the most common type of skin cancer in cats. usual.
Likewise, skin tumors in cats are not the only ones that can appear, so they can also suffer from other types of cancer such as lymphoma or mammary carcinoma. For more information on this, we recommend consulting the article on Cancer in cats - Types, symptoms and treatment.
Symptoms of skin cancer in cats
Injuries to our cat's body should alert us, as it could be cancer. Thus, we can palpate or observe masses that grow with greater or lesser speed. Some are well defined, while others do not have well defined boundaries. They can ulcerate, with which we will appreciate wounds on their surface that come to bleed and, sometimes, give off a bad smell. Sometimes. nearby lymph nodes are swollen.
On the other hand, sometimes skin growths don't look like lumps, but appear as itching or redness, scaling, and crusting, which in some cases we will see as brown spots on the cat's skin. Finally, warts in cats usually correspond to benign tumors, although we should always go to the vet to assess them.
If you notice any of these symptoms of skin cancer in cats, don't hesitate to quickly go to your trusted veterinary clinic to perform the tests mentioned above.
How to detect skin cancer in cats?
Before starting treatment, it is essential to obtain a diagnosis that tells us what type of skin cancer we are dealing with. In addition to cytology or biopsy, the veterinarian can perform blood tests, radiography or ultrasound These These tests provide information about the general condition of the cat and allow us to know whether or not there is metastasis, that is, if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body or is localized.
The treatment, the prognosis and the possibility of recurrences, that is, the cancer reappearing, depend on all these data.
How to cure skin cancer in cats? - Treatment
Depending on each cancer, some can be cured with surgical removal, but the cat will be regularly monitored by a veterinarian in case it develops. reproduce. chemotherapy is the treatment of choice in other cases. Also considered are the so-called antiangiogenic treatments, which consist of preventing the tumor from developing new blood vessels, thereby reducing its supply of nutrients and, consequently,, its progression.
To cure skin cancer in cats, several treatments can be combined. In any case, the prognosis is always considered reserved. At this point it is interesting to bear in mind that the main thing is the quality of life with which we keep our cat, rather than the number of years it lives.
Is skin cancer in cats contagious?
Cancer is a process that develops due to multiple individual factors. The cells reproduce throughout the life of the cat, what happens in cancer is that there is a cellular overgrowth that ends up forming masses and displacing normal cells. Therefore, cancer development cannot be spread to other animals or people.
