Tumor prevalence in cats: experience from a reference diagnostic center in Mexico City (2006-2018)

Abstract

Records of referred cat cases received for diagnosis in the Department of Pathology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry between 2006 and 2018, were reviewed to examine frequency of occurrence of neoplasms and associated demographic factors. To this end, the records of biopsies, necropsies and clinical information were analyzed to obtain data on animal sex and age, as well as neoplasm histotype, tissue of origin, and malignant/benign biological behavior. A total of 685 neoplasm cases were diagnosed during the study period, which represented 37.7% of all referred histopathological domestic cat cases. Epithelial neoplasms were the most prevalent (56% of cases), followed by mesenchymal tumors (27%), and hematopoietic and lymphoreticular neoplasms (17%). The most common tumor type was carcinoma (31%), followed by sarcoma (14%), adenocarcinoma (13%), lymphoma (13%), and adenoma (6%). Squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequent form of carcinoma (117 cases), followed by lymphoma (88 cases), and spindle cell sarcoma (56 cases). Approximately 85% of all cases corresponded to malignant neoplasms. A relationship between sex and histogenesis was observed, but there was no gender association with malignant behavior. Also, hematopoietic/lymphoreticular tumors occurred more frequently at an early age, than other types of neoplasms. To the extent of our knowledge, this is the first epidemiological report indicating the most common neoplasms in a Mexican domestic cat population.