Feline mast cell tumors, a review

Abstract

Mast cell tumors (MCTs) account for up to 15% of all tumors in cats, and have been reported as the third most frequent tumor in cats after lymphoid and mammary neoplasms. Feline MCTs can be divided into three forms based on anatomic location: cutaneous, splenic, and intestinal. Although cutaneous MCTs were once thought to be invariably benign, some are capable of disseminating and metastasizing; therefore, it is important to distinguish these tumors, in order for appropriate treatment to occur / be implemented. Splenic and intestinal MCT seem to have worse prognoses, although there is less literature documenting these forms of feline MCT. Several chemotherapeutics have been investigated in the setting of canine MCT, and recently, toceranib (Palladia) has been approved by the FDA as a targeted chemotherapeutic agent for management of canine MCT. However, studies on the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of feline MCT are rare let alone studies on specific therapies to manage this disease in cats. This review summarizes the current diagnostic avenues to detect and characterize mast cell disease in felines and the available treatment options and shows the need for further research into this important disease in cats.