Chemotherapy for Cats
Chemotherapy is a treatment consisting of drugs toxic to cancer cells. Cats, as well as dogs, generally tolerate this type of treatment better than humans. Though feline cancers are rarely cured, the remission rate is high, and most cats that undergo chemotherapy will enjoy a happy life during and after treatment.
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Chemotherapy
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Chemotherapy drugs are administered intravenously, by subcutaneous injection (under the skin), orally or by intramuscular injection. According to the College of Veterinary Medicine in Illinois, treatment is tailored to the individual patient and, in most cases, is provided on an outpatient basis. The duration of each treatment lasts three to six hours.
The length of course for treatment will vary, depending on the type of cancer being treated. It could take anywhere from 12 to 15 weeks, or, in the case of lymphoma, the cat will need some form of chemotherapy for the rest of her life.
How It Works
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Cancer cells multiply quickly; chemo damages the cell's ability to grow and divide, which eventually kills them. After surgical removal of a malignancy, chemotherapy is used to prevent recurrence or spread of the disease while improving the cat's chances of survival.
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Benefits
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Chemotherapy is the single most effective treatment for certain types of cancer in cats because it offers the best chance of remission. Lymphoma is a good example of a type of cancer that has an improved survival rate when chemo is involved. This type of drug therapy can also increase the ability of radiation therapy to kill cancer cells.
Risks and Side Effects
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Chemo will often kill healthy cells along with the cancer cells, so some health risks are involved. The two most common side effects are toxicity to the cat's gastrointestinal tract and to bone marrow. He may experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. In the case of affected bone marrow cells, the cat's white blood cell count may drop low enough to increase his susceptibility to infection.
Though rare for a feline patient to develop a life-threatening systemic infection as result of increased white blood cells, it's not impossible. For this reason, a veterinarian will often recommend repeat blood tests.
The hair loss associated with chemotherapy treatment in humans is minor with cats, though cats may lose their whiskers. Chemo toxicity can irritate subcutaneous tissues if the drugs leak outside the vein during injection. Ulceration and swelling may occur, but this complication is rare.
After Treatment
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According to veterinarians Race Foster and Marty Smith of pededucation.com, about 70 percent of cats will respond favorably to chemotherapy and on average will live an additional four to six months. After treatment is discontinued, the cat will likely need follow-up examinations every one to two months to check for possible recurrence of the cancer. Early identification of problems will have greater potential for success.
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