What is a nasal tumor?
The rapid uncontrolled growth of cells that line a cat's nasal airway causes nasal tumors to develop. These tumors are a type of cancer and can grow on the surface of the nose or in the nasal cavity. For our feline companions, the most common nasal tumor is nasal lymphoma.
While the majority of nasal tumors in cats are locally invasive and malignant, they do not usually spread to other organs (metastasize).
What causes nasal tumors in cats?
While we don't fully understand why cancer would appear in one pet over another, hereditary, genetic and/or environmental risk factors can combine. If your cat has a compromised immune system (e.g. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus or feline leukemia), they may be at higher risk of developing lymphoma, including nasal lymphoma. Other risk factors may include living in urban areas and being exposed to cigarette smoke. Cats that are exposed to certain viruses also have an increased risk.
What are the signs of nasal tumors in cats?
Most cats with nasal tumors display these symptoms:
- Facial deformities caused by tumor growth
- Coughing
- Oozing lesions on the nose
- Eye discharge
- Decreased appetite
- Disorientation
- Lack of energy
- Noisy breathing
- Weight loss
- Neurological symptoms (e.g. seizures, behavioral changes, muscular weakness, sudden blindness and walking in circles) are unusual but are sometimes the only symptoms that appear
- Nasal discharge (often similar to pus or streaked with blood)
How are nasal tumors diagnosed?
Your vet will use diagnostic imaging tools such as X-Rays and MRI to view the internal structures of your cat's nasal area. Using imaging allows the vet to more precisely determine the size and location of the nasal tumor. Further testing, including biopsy and microscopic analysis, may be necessary.
Your veterinarian or vet oncologist may recommend staging (searching for signs of cancer in other parts of the cat's body) which may include bloodwork, urinalysis, X-Rays, and potentially ultrasound. Using fine needle aspiration (FNA), a sample of the cat's lymph node cells for examination under a microscope.
Regardless of spread throughout the rest of the body, immediate treatment of the nasal tumors must start at once. These growths are painful and can negatively affect the brain. Timely treatment is helpful for pain and disease management for cats with this condition.
What is the treatment for nasal tumors in cats?
The treatment for nasal tumors depends on the specific type of tumor. Lymphomas which are commonly seen in cats can be treated with radiation. However, because lymphoma is a systemic disease, they will need careful monitoring to ensure that the cancer isn't present elsewhere. If this is the case, chemotherapy may be recommended. Your vet will take the time to provide answers about your cat's unique case, including treatment options and prognoses.
Cats diagnosed with nasal tumors will require regularly visits to the vet to monitor their status and prognosis.