Cancer that has spread to the lungs is the usual way a cat's tumour becomes life-threatening, and cats hide it well. They seldom cough, so the first signs may be lethargy, poor appetite or weight loss, and in one unusual syndrome the first sign may be a swollen toe. This guide covers how tumours reach the lung, how to recognise lung-digit syndrome, and how to stage a cat with a malignant tumour.
Key facts
Metastatic lung disease at a glance- Species and system: cat, lower respiratory tract (lung parenchyma and pleura).
- Cause: tumour cells from a distant primary reach the lungs through blood or lymph. The lungs receive the entire cardiac output, so emboli lodge easily.
- Common primary tumours: mammary adenocarcinoma, osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma and oral melanoma (MSD).
- Classic presentation: non-specific illness, often without cough; pleural effusion and dyspnoea in advanced disease.
- Special syndrome: lung-digit syndrome, with a lung carcinoma that spreads to the toes.
- Outlook: metastasis occurs late in a malignant tumour, so the prognosis is poor.
What's inside
13 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Lung-digit syndrome
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Staging a cat with a malignant tumour
- Treatment and management
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 4 tables, 1 figure, 3 self-test questions and 10 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.