Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and treatment of oral squamous cell cancer in cats
By Bilgic, Ozgur et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary dentistry·2015·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Clinical Manifestations and Literature Review.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A cat with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) may show signs like difficulty eating, bad breath, or visible lesions in the mouth. This type of cancer is common in cats and can be aggressive, often starting in the gums or tongue. Treatment options include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, but they usually provide limited success. In some cases, if the tumor can be completely removed, the cat may have a better chance of recovery. Unfortunately, many cats with advanced SCC may require palliative care to manage pain and improve their quality of life, but this is often temporary.
People also search for: cat oral cancer symptoms · feline squamous cell carcinoma treatment · why is my cat having trouble eating
Abstract
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most commonly encountered malignant oral tumor in cats. The etiology of this locally invasive tumor is likely multifactorial. Several risk factors have been identified, including the use of flea collars, and a history of feeding canned food and canned tuna. Clinical signs vary depending on tumor location. The tumor commonly arises from the gingiva and mucosa of the maxilla, mandible, tongue, sublingual area, or tonsillar region. Maxillary SCC commonly presents clinically as an ulcerative lesion, whereas mandibular SCC is commonly proliferative, expansile, and firm. Lingual/sublingual SCC may be ulcerative, necrotic, infiltrative, or proliferative. In general, feline oral SCC is an invasive and malignant neoplasm regardless of its location. Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and combinations thereof have been attempted with rarely a satisfactory response. Currently, cures are obtained only in a small subset of cats whose tumors are amenable to complete resection, or where resection with microscopic residual disease is followed by definitive radiation therapy. A multimodal treatment approach likely offers the best chance of success. For cats with advanced disease, palliative care may improve patients' quality of life, albeit transiently. Sequelae associated with tumor progression and local tissue destruction often result in euthanasia of feline patients with oral SCC.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26197688/