July Cytology Month - Mast Cell Tumors Part 2

Many people may know about mast cell tumors in dogs, did you know they can affect cats too?

• Although not as common as in dogs, Mast Cell Tumors (MCT) can occur in cats too. They can be skin (cutaneous) tumors or visceral tumors (affecting the spleen and intestines). It is the third most common type of intestinal cancer in cats

• Cutaneous MCT can be categorized into mastocytic or atypical

• For skin mast cell tumors, surgical removal is the recommended treatment. For splenic MCT, splenectomy is recommended. It may be advisable to pursue Toceranib and steroids after. Surgery is also recommended for the intestinal version but carries a worse prognosis

References:

1) Veterinary Partner. Veterinarypartner.com

2) Tilley, L. P., & Smith, F. W. (2005). The 5-minute veterinary consult: Canine and feline. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

3) Yin, S. A. (2010). The small animal veterinary nerdbook. Davis, CA: CattleDog Pub.