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My true cat has squamous cell carcinoma | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-Certified Veterinary Specialist
If your cat was just diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (commonly abbreviated "SCC"), I can whole-heartedly empathize. In this blog, I share my own story, along with some important information for cat owners to know if their cat was just diagnosed with this horrible cancer.
My ain 19-year-former cat, Seamus, was just recently diagnosed with SCC last month, and I'm heartbroken. Seamus was previously diagnosed with chronic kidney failure (CKF) and so I weighed him once a month for years. I wanted to make sure he maintained his weight. Well, last month, he lost 0.7 pounds, and I instantly knew something more severe was going on. That'south when I did a complete physical test and found a fast growing tumor in his mouth.
I took him to our board-certified veterinary dentist at my specialty clinic, where he was sedated and put under full general anesthesia for dental 10-rays, lymph node aspirate (for cytology), extraction of tooth and biopsy of the mass. Unfortunately, days later, he was diagnosed with SCC on the biopsy and lymph node aspirate.
SCC is one of the most mutual cancers seen in cats, and accounts for approximately 10% of the type of cancers that cats get. Unfortunately, the most common location that cats get SCC is in the mouth, which is hard for pet owners to exist able to "meet" information technology. Unfortunately, this is a really rapid, fast-growing cancer and is very invasive (which means it grows into the nearby tissue and lymph nodes). While it rarely spreads to other parts of the body, it can grow and so rapidly and cause hurting and discomfort that information technology prevents cats from eating. Often, cats volition express interest in food – in other words – they'll still come to the food bowl, but then they turn away or swallow only a few bites before giving upwardly due to oral pain. That'south why it'south and so important to diagnose it as soon equally possible so treatment can started immediately.
Clinical signs of SCC in cats include:
- Drooling (even discolored brown drool)
- Bad breath (halitosis)
- Weight loss
- Non eating
- Frequent tongue move or licking
- Dropping nutrient
- Swelling on the side of the jaw (resulting in asymmetry)
- Hurting on opening the mouth
Unfortunately, any aged cat can get SCC, but in research studies, the boilerplate age was 12.v years of age (range 3-21 years of age). Some studies have looked at environmental toxins like tobacco fume having an increased risk for cats developing SCC. For cat owners who smoked 1-19 cigarettes a day, their cats had a statistically pregnant 4X increase in the run a risk of SCC compared to non-smoking households. (No, I don't smoke, and even my true cat got SCC). In another study, cats that wore flea collars also had a statistically significant 5X increased risk of SCC. The same study that evaluated fume exposure as well found an increase in SCC in cats that frequently ate canned cat food (compared to those that ate dry out nutrient). This may be related to the nutrient content of these foods, the chemicals used in canned nutrient, or even the hypothesis that cats that ate dry food have less tartar buildup and less dental disease. At that place is some thought that chronic inflammation or chronic dental affliction may be a causative predisposing factor for SCC.
Diagnosis of SCC is typically based on:
- Oral exam
- Physical test
- Blood work (as an elevated calcium level can sometimes exist seen)
- Dental 10-rays (which typically need to be done under general anesthesia) which may evidence a "lytic" or eaten away appearance to the bone
- Biopsy (which needs to be done under general anesthesia)
- Cytology of the lymph node (where a small needle is used to aspirate cells out)
- X-rays of the chest to make sure cancer hasn't spread elsewhere
Treatment
Unfortunately, at that place isn't much treatment or advances with treating SCC in cats, every bit it's so aggressive. While surgery and radiation therapy can be considered, along with chemotherapy, they have been often unsuccessful with a poor long term survival. Merely 10% of cats survive to 1 yr, with most cats surviving an average of 3 months fifty-fifty with aggressive therapy. Without treatment, the boilerplate survival is only about i month.
So, what did I do equally a veterinarian specialist when my cat was diagnosed?
My goal was to preserve his quality of life. To spoil him. To make each surviving solar day a good quality of life where Seamus was happy. That meant keeping him on pain medications (such as buprenorphine and gabapentin). Since the mass is in the mouth, it'due south often hard to pill your true cat. And as my cat had a really painful mouth, I elected to use Simbadol (which is a in one case a 24-hour interval injection that lasts 24 hours) – your veterinarian will accept to administer this, merely it can be used for a few days initially to help. I besides used a long acting antibody injection chosen Convenia for 2 weeks (ane injection, seven days apart), as I was worried that there was a bacterial infection in his mouth from the decaying cancer tissue.
Lastly, canned nutrient and cat treats…whatsoever Seamus wanted to eat. Hither, my favorite treats that he loved:
What about prevention?
While SCC is ambitious, the sooner it is establish and the smaller it is at the time of diagnosis, the more than treatment options are available. That'southward ane of the reasons why daily dental domicile intendance, regular oral exams and regular dental cleaning increment the chances of finding SCC early on. When in dubiety, talk to your veterinarian about this, as dental health is and so of import!
Most importantly, consider humane euthanasia when you feel similar your true cat'southward quality of life is deteriorating. For me, the signs beneath betoken a poor quality of life. When in dubiousness, talk to your veterinarian.
- Not eating for 2 days in a row
- Continued weight loss
- Hiding
- Not moving
- Difficulty breathing
- Sleeping all the time
I wish I had better news for you. I'1000 correct there with you, heartbroken with my old homo. When in doubtfulness, talk to a board-certified veterinarian dentist or veterinarian oncologist for more information… and hugs to your cat. This veterinarian'southward thinking of you.
More data tin can be constitute here at Cornell's website. Further data for your veterinary (with links to the studies) can be found at DVM360.
Source: https://drjustinelee.com/cat-squamous-cell-carcinoma-dr-justine-lee-board-certified-veterinary-specialist/
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