Prevalência dos tumores mamários em gatas na região central do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

Cancer is one of the main causes of death in dogs and cats and the mammary neoplasm is one of the most frequent in these species. Although some studies have been performed, there is little data on the epidemiology of this disease in cats. Thus, this study has, as primary goal, to determine the most prevalent tumors in cats and to associate the mammary tumors to some prognostic factors. The files from the Veterinary Pathology Laboratory of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria were reviewed. Between the years 2000 and 2011, a total of 1427 feline cases including necropsies and biopsies were found. Based on the collected data from these cases, a relation between mammary tumors and some factors such as sex, age, breed, reproductive status, use of contraceptives, number and location of affected glands, presence of ulcerations, size of the tumor, and presence and location of metastases, was studied. Mammary tumors were the second most prevalent tumors (39,57%), after skin neoplasms (41,49%). All feline tumors were in females, mostly older and Domestic Shorthaired cats. Malignant neoplasms were the more frequently diagnosed (72,35%), followed by non-neoplastic tumors (22,58%), and benign neoplasms (5,06%). The smaller tumors were mostly carcinomas. Ulcers were observed in malignant tumors (92%) and non-neoplastic tumors as well (8%). Distant metastases were found mainly in the lungs and skin.