Introduction

Although a diagnosis of cancer is never good, timely detection, treatment and management of feline cancer can be remarkably successful.

Treating Cancer in Cats

There are a number of treatment options available for cats with cancer including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Early diagnosis and treatment will improve the chances of remission.

Surgical Options

Surgery is the treatment of choice for most feline cancers. Localized masses often can be removed and, when detected early, the procedure carries an excellent success rate. Upon removal, the veterinarian will evaluate how aggressively the cancer has spread to other organs in the cat's body and will use this information to assess the outlook for the animal and establish a prospective course of action. The removed tissue will be submitted to a pathology laboratory for accurate determination of the exact type of cancer involved and whether appropriate surgical margins were obtained when the tissue was removed.

Non-Surgical Options

In cases where feline tumors are inoperable, other treatment options may be available, including radiation, chemotherapy and/or other biological therapies. During radiation therapy, malignant cells are killed by exposure to high levels of radiation. Chemotherapy involves administration of systemic medications designed to kill rapidly-reproducing cells, including cancer cells, while hopefully sparing most normal healthy cells. In some cases, the treating veterinarian may pursue a combination of therapies, such as surgery together with radiation or chemotherapy, in an attempt to arrest progression of the disease. One of the possible down-sides of radiation and chemotherapies is that normal cells will be adversely affected by the treatment. The goal of course is to eliminate all cancerous cells, but it is not presently possible to completely isolate healthy tissue from cancerous tissue through these treatments.

Supportive Cancer Therapies

Modern cancer management in cats involves far more than surgical, radioactive or chemical removal of cancer cells. Nutritional support, pain management, medical therapies for ulcer prevention, physical therapy and other supportive care techniques are all key components of a comprehensive treatment protocol designed to maintain an affected cat’s quality of life.