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Mammary Cancer in Cats

Mammary Cancer in Cats

Mammary Gland Tumor, MGT, Breast Cancer

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Updated on September 21, 2024
SUMMARY OF CONTENT
Mammary cancer is the third most common cancer in cats. Eight-five percent of mammary cancers in cats are adenocarcinomas, which is a very aggressive tumor that often metastasizes to the lymph nodes and lungs.
SEVERITY:
Mild to severe
  • Diagnosis Icon
    Requires a diagnosis by a veterinarian
  • Time to Cure
    May resolves with surgical removal but may be terminal
  • Treatment Icon
    May be treatable by a veterinarian
  • Prevention Icon
    Early spaying and avoidance of progesterone-like drugs greatly reduces risk of development
  • Spread Icon
    Transmission is not possible between cats or between cats and people
  • Lab Icon
    Diagnosis requires a physical examination, fine needle aspirate and often histopathology
VERY COMMON IN
Any adult female cat can develop mammary cancer. The average age is 10-14 years.

Symptoms & Signs

Mammary tumors in cats often appear as firm nodules that are moveable or firmly attached to the skin and/or underlying muscle. The tumors may become ulcerated and painful. It is not unusual for tumors to be present in more than one gland. Swelling, pain, infection, and fever may also be present.

Diagnosis

Mammary cancer is diagnosed by palpation of a mammary mass on physical examination and either sampling the mass by performing a fine needle aspirate or removing the affected tissue for histopathologic examination. A fine needle aspirate or incisional biopsy may be used initially to determine the type of tumor present. The veterinarian may also recommend x-rays and/or an abdominal ultrasound looking for spread of the cancer to the lungs or other organs. Other laboratory tests include routine blood testing and a urinalysis to assess the cat’s general health, especially if surgery is going to be performed.

Causation

Although mammary cancer occurs much less frequently in cats than dogs, when it does occur, it is often malignant and difficult to treat. Mammary cancer is the third most common cancer in cats . When cats develop mammary cancer it is often fatal. Siamese cats appear to have a genetic predisposition for developing mammary cancer and see higher incidents of the mammary cancer then other breeds and are typically diagnosed younger then other breeds.

There is a strong correlation between early spaying and a reduced incidence of the disease. Unspayed females are at a much greater risk of developing mammary cancer. Female cats that were spayed after having one to several heat cycles, with or without having kittens, are also at a greater risk than a cat that was spayed before her first heat cycle. Although rare, mammary cancer can occur in male cats.

Studies reveal that approximately eighty-five percent of mammary tumors in cats are malignant adenocarcinomas. The tumors that make up the other fifteen percent include duct papillomas, sarcomas, and adenomas. Adenocarcinomas are very aggressive tumors and often metastasize to the surrounding lymph nodes and lungs.

Treatments

icon AT-HOME CARE
Following surgery, administer all medications as prescribed by the veterinarian and feed a high quality diet to help aid in recovery.
icon SUPPORTIVE CARE
Medicate and feed as directed by your veterinarian.
icon MEDICATIONS
Pain medications and antibiotics may be prescribed by your veterinarian following surgery to prevent infections and control pain. Chemotherapy is often used in combination with surgical removal to increase survivability rates. While many medications are often administered for ‘off-label’ or 'extra-label' use in veterinary medicine, it is important to know that off- or extra- label use of a medication can only be done by a veterinarian when there are no other more appropriate medications for a particular pet's circumstances. Your veterinarian must also know all vitamins, supplements, medications etc. your pet is taking to help avoid complications. You must also be sure to follow all instructions provided by your vet carefully and consult your veterinarian with any questions or concerns if they arise.
icon MEDICAL PROCEDURES
Fine needle aspirate or biopsy of the tumor to determine malignancy. Radiographs may be done to check for metastasis. Chemotherapy may be recommended due to high rate of metastasis.
icon SURGERY
Treatment usually consists of surgical removal of the tumor and the surrounding mammary gland. Many surgeons recommend complete removal of the entire mammary gland chain. These tumors are extremely aggressive and because of the high incidence of metastasis with adenocarcinomas, an aggressive treatment approach is necessary. Proper identification of the removed tumor by a pathologist is always recommended to help determine if further treatments are necessary.
icon SPECIALISTS
Because of the technical expertise needed to properly administer the newest and most effective chemotherapy drugs, a consultation with a boarded veterinary oncologist is recommended for advanced cases.

Cost Of Treatment

The cost of diagnosis and treatment of mammary cancer in cats can range from $1500 to $5000 or more. This may include a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and supportive care.

Recovery

While the initial treatment for cats with mammary cancer may be successful, the long-term outcome is usually guarded. It is not unusual for tumors to reoccur, so veterinarians may often recommend a single or double chain masectomy. Unfortunately, most cats survive less than a year after initial diagnosis, however, cats who receive aggressive treatment on small tumors that are caught early may receive a better prognosis.

Monitoring

Cats recovering from surgery will need to be closely monitored as their incision site is healing. Your veterinarian may recommend a surgical cone and restricted exercise for the first few weeks post-operation. Immediately consult with your veterinarian if there are any changes with the incision site or your cat's behavior. Cats undergoing chemotherapy will need to be monitored closely for potential side effects of the medications. The cat will need follow-up examinations and routine blood testing to monitor organ function and cell counts. After completion of treatment, follow-up examinations with routine blood work and x-rays will be recommended every few months to evaluate the cat’s general health and monitor for recurrence of disease.

Prevention

While mammary cancer in cats is not completely preventable, there are several precautions owners can take to decrease the incidence of this disease. The first is to make sure their cats are spayed before they come into their first heat. There is a strong correlation between early spaying and a reduction in the incidence of mammary tumors in cats. The second precaution is to avoid the use of progesterone-like drugs, which can increase the incidence of mammary cancer in cats. These drugs are still occasionally used to treat miliary dermatitis and some behavior disorders in cats. Owners of female cats need to weigh the risk versus the potential benefits of using these drugs in their cats and discuss any concerns with their veterinarian. Finally, owners should be sure their cats get regular, thorough veterinary checkups. Owners can perform their own mini checkups by feeling for any lumps or bumps, particularly in the mammary area. Early detection and treatment is very important in the successful treatment and outcome of mammary cancer in cats.

Questions about Mammary Cancer

I have a cat that as a kitten was very ill. We got him from 7 months old. We knew he’d had cat flu prior to him coming here. He is now nearly 5 yrs old. He picks huge fights with our other cat. He keeps urinating and scratching at doors and windows around the house. We allow him to go out via the cat flap unlimited. What is happening to him

I'm glad to see that Pippin has been neutered because this eliminates that possibility of hormone-fueled behavioral changes and aggression. Behavioral changes in cats can occur at any point in time, and could be related to anxiety or stressful situations (even rearranging furniture or introducing new people to the home can be stressful to cats). Without a lot more information and observing Pippin's behaviors, I can't precisely tell you why these changes are occurring. It may be best to consult a veterinary behaviorist in your home so that they can observe everything firsthand. You can also try using calming pheromone collars or diffusers (Feliway is one example), and discussing the use of anxiety medication with Pippin's vet. I hope that all goes well!

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Hi! My cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes. He’s taking insulin and taking antibiotics for a Uti. It’s been 4 weeks and he wobles when he’s walking. He can’t jump up on the bed like he used to.He’s blood sugar is 250 it’s better than it used to. I don’t understand why he’s so wobbly.

Cats can develop what's called diabetic neuropathy, where their hindlegs become progressively weak. The best thing to do is try to get his diabetes under control as quickly as possible. Here is a link describing the conditon: http://www.diabeticcatcare.com/DCCCOK/Neuropathy.htm

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My senior cat has metastized cancer.17 yrs old. My vet gave her predizone1 and one half tabs a day.i wanted to know if i can just stop the meds.

Is there a reason you want to stop the prednisone? I would recommend not stopping it and if you feel it is better to stop the prednisone then I would recommend weaning off of the prednisone. I would discuss how to wean the prednisone with your veterinarian. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.

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My 3 year old long haired tuxedo female pees just fine in the litter box, but she preferred to poop on the bathroom rug or on the carpet behind the sofa. Then, she will go weeks and everything is fine only start pooping outside the box again. I have 4 litter boxes and 3 cats. I clean all several times a day. She is the youngest. I've put wee wee pads down and she lifts them up and poops under them. Any ideas to help? Thanks!

A good first step, if you haven't already, is to rule out any health issues with your vet such as arthritis that may be causing the accidents. Secondly, making sure none of the other cats are bullying her away from the litter box may also alert you to any issues. Thirdly, a good enzymatic cleaner may help reduce the smell/discourage use of these areas in the future. That said, if you've done the above and the issue is still happening, it's probably time to call in a veterinary or animal behaviorist that can visit in person to see what may be going on. They may be able to check for stressors that could be causing the accidents where they are, look for issues with refusal to defecate in the box, or see if there is a cycle that is happening that is triggering this reaction. From there they may be able to set up a more tailored plan to help reduce the accidents and encourage use of the litter box at all times. If you're in the US, you can use this website to help find someone available in your area: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about

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My dog has a lump like in the photo on both sides. Not hard. Seems like swollen. Her regular vet thought it had to do with her hips and seemed confident they aren’t tumors. I think it has grown some though.

Hello. If Scarlett has 2 lumps pretty much over each hip, & with Scarlett being a slightly older dog, then my guess is she has "love handles". If Scarlett is also a little overweight, the hips are a common place for some fat to accumulate. Rest assured that tumors rarely happen in the same area on both sides of the body, & since your vet is rather unconcerned, then it sounds like Scarlett is fine. If you are really concerned, you can ask your veterinarian to do a fine needle aspirate in which a very small needle is used to remove a drop or 2 of sample from under the lumps. A quick look will tell if there are any concerns. I hope this helps & thanks for contacting Boop by Petco.

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My 8yo Golden had a falsepregnancy w milk. Cabergoline has resolved it now. I hear conflicting opinions about spaying. She has never mated. Some say not spaying would cause pseudopregnancy recurrence+dangerous conditions like Mammary T. But UCDavis studies say spaying increases other aggressive cancer risks among GoldenRs. Also, vet thinks that her anemia that keeps coming back after prednisolone trtmnts *might* be due to Ovary cysts, suggests spaying. What's the right approach for her health?

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Lav. I've heard many owners quote the UC Davis study, and there are a number of things wrong with the study. Check out this article on it: https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/deconstructing-spayneuter-debate Not spaying her can cause a pseudopregnancy reoccurrence, but it doesn't increase her risk of mammary tumors. That's already going to be 25% because she's had more than two heats. Keep in mind, 50% of mammary tumors in dogs are malignant. She is eight years old, so she is already at a higher risk of developing cancer simply because she is an older dog. She is also at risk of a pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. The treatment for a pyometra is spaying the dog, which is an emergency during a pyometra and can cost many thousands of dollars. In all honesty, it's best to spay her. It will keep her from developing a pyometra as well as a pseudopregnancy, and it will keep her from getting pregnant if she accidentally mates. Dogs over the age of six should never have puppies. In my opinion, it's best for her to health to get spayed asap. I hope this helps!

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Disclaimer

The information contained on this page is for educational purposes only. This medication should only be given under the advice of a veterinarian who has examined your pet under the laws applicable to your state of residence.