Cat Adrenal Medulary Tumors

Adrenal glands are tiny glands that are buried in the fat in front of the kidneys. Their sole function is to regulate the use of specific hormones such as epinephrine, aldosterone and cortisol. These particular hormones interact with other hormones that support and influence other organs of the body. Each adrenal gland has 2 significant parts. One is the medulla and the other is the cortex. Both of these parts can become malignant.

‘What is the risk for my cat getting adrenal medulary tumors?

The data that is available estimates that 0.17% to 0.76% of dogs, which includes merely one to two percent of tumors in dogs and 0.03% in cats which is representative of .2% of all cat tumors. Cancers in other organs rarely metastasize to the adrenal glands. Most commonly, Cat Lymphoma Cancer, sarcoma and hemangiosarcoma may spread to the adrenals.

Signs and Symptoms

Adrenal medulary tumors have a selection of nonspecific symptoms. It is diagnosed with immunohistochemistry. Some of these nonspecific symptoms are:

• Cat Anorexia which leads to a Cat Loss of Weight

• Cat Difficulty Breathing

• Increased heart rate

• Cat Lethargy

• Cat High Blood Pressure

Is there Pain?

Any cat with any type of Cat Cancer should be on some type of pain medication. This will decrease the many discomforts that can be caused by the disease and/or the treatment.

What about diets for cats with cancer?

If your cat contracts cancer, there are specific diets that are planned to support the patient with cancer and the symptoms that occur with the disease. Most cats will lose their appetite when they contract cancer. The treatments that are given can also cause difficulty with eating. Radiation can cause blisters in the mouth, chemo can cause nausea and if surgery is performed, healing is a slow process and there can be a decrease in appetite.

It is very important to maintain adequate nutrition for your cat. There are specific prescription diets for cancer patients as well. While voluntary eating is preferred, it may be difficult when your cat is ill. There are some appetite stimulating medications that can also be used. By increasing the appetite the potential is there to allow the cat to take in an adequate amount of calories.

In extreme conditions a feeding tube can be put in place. This is a tube that is placed either short term or long term. The tube is inserted through the cat’s nose. During this period an Elizabethan collar will be ordered in order to prevent the cat from removing the tube or causing it to get out of the designated area.

If the treatment is long term, a tube can be placed into the esophagus (food tube), or into the stomach directly. This will be determined by your cats’ ability to digest the prescribed food. Intravenous feeding is also a possible necessity.

Treatment Options

The only treatment for this condition is surgery. If the cat has no metastasis, there is a good possibility of long term survival. It is also possible that metastasis can occur a long time after the surgery has been completed.