Intestinal cancer in cats and dogs
Encyclopedia
The average age at which intestinal tumors are diagnosed ranges between 10-12 years for cats and 6 to 9 years for dogs. There are many different types of intestinal tumors, including lymphoma
, adenocarcinoma
, mast cell tumor, and leiomyosarcoma
.
to visualize the organ and do a tissue biopsy
.
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
, adenocarcinoma
Adenocarcinoma
Adenocarcinoma is a cancer of an epithelium that originates in glandular tissue. Epithelial tissue includes, but is not limited to, the surface layer of skin, glands and a variety of other tissue that lines the cavities and organs of the body. Epithelium can be derived embryologically from...
, mast cell tumor, and leiomyosarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma , aka LMS, is a malignant cancer of smooth muscle....
.
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms can vary but include weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, and anorexia.Diagnosis
The veterinarian will typically perform a series of tests such as blood tests and imaging studies. The most definitive way to confirm/rule out intestinal tumors is to perform a medical procedure called endoscopyEndoscopy
Endoscopy means looking inside and typically refers to looking inside the body for medical reasons using an endoscope , an instrument used to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Unlike most other medical imaging devices, endoscopes are inserted directly into the organ...
to visualize the organ and do a tissue biopsy
Biopsy
A biopsy is a medical test involving sampling of cells or tissues for examination. It is the medical removal of tissue from a living subject to determine the presence or extent of a disease. The tissue is generally examined under a microscope by a pathologist, and can also be analyzed chemically...
.