Feline Stomach Cancer

Cat stomach cancer is a type of cancer that falls under the classification of an adenocarcinoma.



An adenocarcinoma is a carcinoma of the glands and can appear in the epithelial layer of the organ in question. Cats with stomach cancer do not have a very positive prognosis because of the possibility of the cancer being fast-growing and malignant. The typical symptoms of cat stomach cancer include vomiting blood, tarry and black stools, loss of appetite, fatigue, and loss of bowel movements.



The condition can progress very fast and therefore, in most cases, surgery is immediately advised. This is the case unless the cancer is a lymphoma. In this case the cancer would have entered the lymphatic system and this ends up being an untreatable situation since it destroys the lymphatic system.

Cat Stomach Cancer Treatments

The diagnosis of cat stomach cancer is first achieved by using X-rays and ultrasounds. Once a growth is noticed, the next step is to explore further by performing an endoscopy or gastroscopy. This is basically a probe that is done by inserting a tube with a small camera at the end of it, called the endoscope, through the food pipe and into the stomach. The subsequent investigation could reveal something that indicates a neoplasm. The next step is usually to perform a biopsy of the cancer tissue. This is done by passing an instrument that plucks a piece of tissue through the endoscope and removing a piece of the tissue. The tissue is then stained to identify whether the cancer is either an adenocarcinoma or a lymphoma. There is also a third kind of cancer that is very common in cats and that is called a mast cell tumor that also occurs in the epithelial layer of the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract. In cats, this type of cancer usually only affects the spleen or the intestines.

As mentioned before, the prognosis for survival after being diagnosed with stomach cancer is not positive and even after surgery is performed, there is a good chance of the cancer reappearing. Chemotherapy is not used in this form of therapy due to the chances of damaging nearby organs; though it is used when the cancer has spread to other organs beyond the stomach itself. It is worth mentioning that there is a therapy called the Reolysin therapy that uses the Reolysin virus to destroy tumor cells. This is something that requires consultation with your vet.