Cat Bone Cancer

Bone cancer in cats is a condition that is called osteosarcoma.



In humans, this is one of the most prevalent forms of bone cancer that frequently requires amputation of the limb that is attached to the affected bone. Dogs are affected with this condition as well but a bone marrow cancer in cats is not as severe or as widespread. Cat bone marrow cancers are best treated with amputation.



This is usually the case because it is very unlikely that the cancer can be detected early. This is because there are very few visible symptoms of the disease since it is a cancer of the bone marrow. If the condition is detected early, however, the condition could be treated with chemotherapy and radio therapy, though surgery remains the best option.

Feline Bone Cancer Causes

Cat bone cancer and osteosarcoma have no known cause of occurrence though, as with all cancers, a predisposition can usually be identified within the genetic codes of the animal. Bone or any other type of cancer is an aberrant bunch of cells that do not follow the rules of the body’s programming. Normal cells are genetically programmed to perform a specific function and then undergo apoptosis – programmed cell death. Sometimes, carcinogens and mistakes in genetic encoding during cellular production can cause a cell to not follow the rules of apoptosis and growth. These cells multiply and grow further into a cancerous tissue. The body may or may not identify the tumor and destroy it. When it does not, a tumor develops. In animals, the presence of cancer, especially osteosarcoma, is problematic because animals cannot communicate their symptoms and the visible symptoms usually end up being noticed when the condition is too late to be taken care of completely. Apart from lymphomas, most other cancers can be managed to a large extent with the use of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

These two therapies specifically target tumor cells for destruction by either using toxic chemicals or by using radiation to ionize water around the tumor to kill off tumor cells. A third form of therapy that has been used for many years is immunotherapy. This is a treatment where the body’s immune system is manipulated to ensure destruction of diseased tissue. The main method of doing this is to manipulate the body’s cytokines that signal an immune response.  There is also some experimental treatment underway like the use of the reolysin virus against tumors.