Cryotherapy Treatment of Squamous Cancer in Cats
Squamous cell carcinoma is a common skin cancer in cats. Though it can occur anywhere on the body, it usually affects the mouth, nose and ears. Light-haired, outdoor cats are most often affected because this cancer is caused by exposure to sunlight. Cryotherapy is just one of the treatment options available for feline skin cancer.
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Signs and Symptoms
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Your veterinarian may detect squamous cell carcinoma in your cat's mouth during a routine checkup or dental cleaning. One sign your cat may have squamous cell carcinoma is skin lesions that do not heal. If you see this, take your cat to your veterinarian. She will biopsy the area to determine whether the lesion is cancerous. If your cat has a decreased appetite; eats on one side of the mouth; drools; or has a facial deformity, loose teeth, or a foul odor or bloody discharge issuing from his mouth, he may have squamous cell carcinoma inside his mouth. Often, however, squamous cell carcinoma is undetected until it has become severe (when symptoms appear) or when a cat undergoes a routine checkup or dental cleaning.
Treatments
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Cryotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure for facial cancer. If detected early enough, squamous cell carcinoma can be cured. Some smaller lesions can be surgically removed or treated with cryotherapy. Larger lesions can be treated and sometimes cured with radiation, chemotherapy or other methods.
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What is Cryotherapy?
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Cryotherapy uses extremely cold temperatures to destroy diseased tissue. Cryotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses extremely cold temperatures to destroy diseased or cancerous tissue. In a cryotherapy procedure, a veterinarian will use liquid nitrogen or argon gas to freeze and destroy the cancerous lesions or tumors.
Is Cryotherapy Effective?
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Cryotherapy seems to be more effective on smaller cancerous lesions. If the disease is not very advanced and the tumors are small, your veterinarian may use cryotherapy. According to an article by Gregory Ogilvie published on the 27 WSAVA Congress website, cryotherapy has been recommended as a treatment for feline facial squamous cell sarcinoma. Ogilvie believes cryotherapy is more effective in cats that had "lesions less than 1 cm in diameter." He recommends other treatments, such as radiation, for lesions larger than 1 cm.
Early Detection is Essential
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Early detection will make cryotherapy more effective. Many cases of squamous cell carcinoma are not caught until the cancer is well-advanced. Once it reaches advanced stages, treatment or cures are no longer possible and euthanization may be necessary. Therefore, it's important for your cat to have regular oral examinations for early detection of squamous cell carcinoma. If caught early enough, it can be treated, even cured, with less invasive methods such as cryotherapy.
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References
- Photo Credit Cat image by Riina Aume from Fotolia.com teeth and tongue detail of a domestic cat image by Steve Mann from Fotolia.com Cats Eyes image by Chris Davis from Fotolia.com erlen fumant image by Julie LEGRAND from Fotolia.com Cat image by Loren Greyling from Fotolia.com Cat-mother image by askimfox from Fotolia.com
