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Cat Nasal Cavity Tumor

Veterinarian Reviewed on April 2, 2014 by Dr. Janice Huntingford

Cat Nasal Cavity Tumor

Few things in the world can be as heart wrenching and agonizing as seeing your cat battle a serious ailment. Fortunately, for cat owners, veterinary science has progressed enough to offer accurate diagnosis of most cat health concerns and even propose remedial initiatives that can save the life of an animal. However a distinctive treatment approach for nasal cavity tumors in cats still eludes veterinarians. While not a particularly common condition, any growth in the nasal cavity has a high chance of being malignant. Also, despite the use of surgery, Cat Cancer Chemotherapy and Cat Radiation Therapy, the survival rate is very low. Here is a look at the symptoms of the disorder; how it can impact the life of your pet and the currently available treatment options.

Signs and Symptoms

The tumor accounts for 1% of all Cat Cancer cases in felines and 92% of these nasal cavity tumors are malignant. In cats the symptoms can include : Cat Sneezing, Cat Nasal Discharge, Cat Loss of Appetite, Cat Difficulty Breathing, Cat Vomiting and decreased activity or Cat Lethargy.

The median age in felines afflicted by the disorder is 9 months and males exhibit greater susceptibility to the disorder than the females.

Diagnosis

Nasal cavity tumors can be diagnosed through blood work tests which include biochemistry profile, blood count, clotting profile etc. A chest x-ray may also be recommended to understand the spread of the tumor while a CT scan can be used for more accurate analysis.

Treatment Options

A combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be used to treat the condition; however, fatality rates are very high even after the treatment is completed. For instance, even after surgery, the median survival rate after treatment is just 34 months for cats. While the figures may not be particularly encouraging for cat owners who would like to treat their beloved cats, the following recourses are available:

Surgery: On its own, surgical interventions have a very low success rate with a median survival rate after the procedure of just 6 months.

Surgery and orthovoltage radiation: When a combination of surgery followed by orthovoltage radiation is used the median survival time is raised to 34 months.

Radiation therapy and surgery: This is the most promising combination as far as treatment options are concerned. In this form of therapy, radiation is followed by surgery to remove the tumors. This is currently the best form of treatment for nasal cavity tumors in cats.

Photodynamic Therapy: This form of treatment entails injecting a special light sensitizer in the infected part; followed by light therapy. The treatment has resulted in a remission in some cats.

Chemotherapy: This form of treatment is only considered in cases where radiation therapy is not an option.

Additional Cat Cancer Pages

Cat Cancer | Cat Skin Cancer | Cat Lung Cancer | Cat Pancreatic Cancer | Cat Cancer Prevention | Cat Cancer Diagnosis | Cat Gastric Cancer | Cat Lymphoma Cancer | Cat Squamous Cell Carcinoma | Cat Mouth Cancer | Cat Brain Tumor | Cat Palliative Cancer Care

Read also: Cat Common Cancers
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Our Expert

Dr. Janice Huntingford
Janice Huntingford, DVM, has been in veterinary practice for over 30 years and has founded two veterinary clinics since receiving her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. She has studied extensively in both conventional and holistic modalities. Ask Dr. Jan

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