Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with cancerous nail and lip tumors linked to two papilloma viruses
By Abe, Hinata et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2026·Department of Veterinary Science, Japan·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Malignant epithelial tumors associated with Felis catus papilloma virus type 3 and type 4 infections at distinct anatomical sites in a domestic cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old neutered male cat was brought to the vet with several masses around his nails and a sore on his lip. Tests revealed that the cat had infections from two types of papillomavirus, which were linked to the development of skin cancers: one type caused a basosquamous cell carcinoma in the nails, and the other caused a carcinoma on the lip. Over six months, the vet monitored the cat's condition, noting changes in the virus. This case highlights how these specific viruses can lead to serious skin tumors in cats.
People also search for: cat nail bed tumors · cat lip sore · papillomavirus in cats · cat skin cancer treatment · signs of cancer in cats
Abstract
A 12-year-8-month-old neutered male cat presented with multiple nail bed masses and an ulcerative lip lesion. PCR identified Felis catus papillomavirus type 3 (FcaPV3) in the nail masses and type 4 (FcaPV4) in the lip lesion. Histopathology revealed basosquamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) in the digits and Bowenoid in situ carcinoma (BISC) in the lip. Immunohistochemistry showed that tumor cells in both BSCC and BISC were positive for p16 and p63 and weakly positive for pRb; p53 was negative in BSCC but weakly positive in BISC. In situ hybridization confirmed FcaPV3 and FcaPV4 E6 genes in digital and lip tumors, respectively. Over 6 months, viral sequencing showed 23 nucleotide changes in FcaPV3, suggesting viral evolution. This is the first report of distinct malignant epithelial tumors independently induced by FcaPV3 and FcaPV4 in a cat.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41882908/