Oral squamous cell carcinoma

[jenniferwalter4]

My 16 yo cat was diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma today. The vet discovered a small, mildly irregular spot on her gums (near upper left back molar). She thought it was nothing serious based on appearance but since she was doing an extraction in that area anyway she did a biopsy. Has anyone dealt with the same diagnosis and can share the experience? Thanks!

 

[catwoman707]

Hi there,
I had a feral cat who I cared for since kittenhood, along with her 5 sibs.
At 15 I started noticing when she ate she would chew on one side with her head tilted as to keep the food away from the other side.
I thought she probably had a bad tooth, time went on and it seemed to be better. Then her face swelled. One side.
It was so hard getting her trapped. Tried every way I could imagine, finally after close to a year my creativity paid off lol, I got her.
I sent her to the vet I use for my rescue cats, to have her mouth checked/tooth pulled.
He called me to say she has squamous cell. Quite advanced, starting to go down her throat. I had her pts that day.
I adored her and was heartbroken, but couldnt allow her to suffer any longer.

So the only thing I can offer is perhaps somewhat of a time line.
From first seeing her chew funny to the end it was about 1 1/2 years. But had she been in my home I would not have let it go on so far.
I dont know if SCC grows at different rates or not but it seems to me it was fairly slow growing.

 

[Kitty Mommy]

Not with a cat but our black lab had one on her tongue. The vet amputated most of her tongue and she recovered with no recurrence of the cancer. She had difficulty eating after that but eventually managed. She was already an old dog and she had about two good years afterwards before we had her pts.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I don't have any experience with this, but once the biopsy confirmed SCC, did the vet suggest taking some x-rays of her skull (and maybe chest) to determine if it has spread at all? If it is isolated, did the vet consider surgery to remove it as a possibility? If not that, chemotherapy or radiation to slow down its progression? I have heard that cats tolerate chemo fairly well - usually better than humans.

Here is a link to previous threads on this site about oral SCC, just in case you might want to look through them for additional information. Search Results for Query: oral squamous cell carcinoma

 

[neely]

OSCC is the most common type of tumor found in the oral cavity of cats. The only experience I've had with oral cancer was when our last cat who had a history of FORL was diagnosed with cancer of the mandible. She succumbed rather quickly but with the appropriate compound pain meds did not suffer long.

I thought both of these articles would have some knowledgeable and helpful info for you:

Squamous Cell Cancer: Dangerous

Suggested Articles Home Care for the Cancer Patient Lymphoma Mammary Tumors Video: Guide to Cancer Anesthesia Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex This disease is highly treatable if detected early — but lethal if it goes unnoticed. That's why a prompt diagnosis is crucial. During your cat’s routine...

www.vet.cornell.edu

Bone-Invasive Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Cats: Pathology and Expression of Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein

Feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common oral tumor in cats. There is no effective treatment, and the average duration of survival after diagnosis is only 2 months. Feline OSCC is frequently associated with osteolysis; however, the ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I will keep my fingers crossed for your girl, please keep us updated on her progress.

 

[jenniferwalter4]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience. Will see what the oncologist says tomorrow.

 

[FeebysOwner]

 

[jenniferwalter4]

Met with the oncologist. He did blood work and chest xray, both good. He said surgery is an option, she would need to get a CT first to see the extent of disease, but warned the surgery will be quite extensive (and it is in a difficult spot). He said radiation is also an option, but can be a lot to go through and can cause painful issues such as sores in the mouth, etc. As far as chemo goes, he said he has had some good results with the oral pill Palladia, I have read about that being used in this type of situation. It is not curative, but hopefully can slow down the disease a bit and buy her some quality time. I opted for the Palladia - I don't want to put her through rough treatments that aren't a cure anyway, especially given her advanced age, so figured I'll give the Palladia a try and see how it goes. Since the lesion is very small, I am crossing my fingers the medicine will help slow it down, all I can do is give it a shot. We'll see. Thanks for everyone's input and kind words!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Thanks for the update. Glad that you have something to try to at least slow the cancer down some! I hope she does well with it, and has next to no? side effects. Please keep us posted. Thanks for the pic too! She is a very pretty girl! Now, all we need at this point is her name!

 

[fionasmom]

I had a cat pass from oral SCC a number of years ago. She was an indoor rescue former feral who was difficult to handle which influenced my decision...and also was the reason that it was not detected before it became obvious. I think that you are making the right decision to use the Palladia. Hopefully it will slow the disease and you will have more time together. If you were to reconsider surgery, get all the details, as I am sure that you would anyway as it is in such a precarious place.

I have a GSD who has well outlived prognosis for melanoma after surgery and immunotherapy; in fact, I am pretty sure he is not going to die from melanoma.

 

[jenniferwalter4]

So Pumpkin had her 2 week checkup, happy to report bloodwork is normal and the oncologist doesn’t see a mass on her gums yet. She has been taking her Palladia well and no adverse effects so far. I’ll take every little victory!