When is cat breast cancer treatable if diagnosed early enough?

I am so sorry that your and Gingers are both going through this. Mammy tumors in cats can be malignant or benign. Unfortunately, studies show that 90% of them are malignant and aggressive where only 10% are benign. The normal treatment would be a full mastectomy on the side that the tumor is located. With her age, this is still an option but you may just consider taking off just the mass to make recovery easier. The other option is to do nothing and just keep her comfortable. I am sorry that she is going through this and I know it isn't easy on your as she is part of the family. My thoughts are with you during this time and whatever you decide, just know you are doing it with her best interest in mind. I hope this helps!

I am sorry to hear that your Smantha passed away. In general, mammary gland tumors is cats are considered very agressive with high potential to spread in the body, usually to the lungs. There are some cats that don't have mets to the lungs, even after longer time, but majority of them will have mets at the time the mammary gland tumor is diagnosed

First off, I'm very sorry that Mama Kitty has mammary tumors! Unfortunately, 90% of mammary tumors in cats are malignant. I think your best option in this case is to enjoy the time you have left with her. Spoil her, give her lots of love and attention, feed her favorite foods (but not ones that are toxic!). Spend as much time with her as you can. Monitor her in regards to her quality of life, and if that starts to decline (i.e. she stops eating, stops drinking, loses more weight, becomes very lethargic, appears to be pain), then it's time to discuss with your vet humane euthanasia. It's a hard thing to do, but it will allow her to go peacefully and without any further pain. You can keep in touch with your vet to discuss her quality of life which will help you make an informed and objective decision. I work for a home euthanasia service and help owners with these decisions all the time, so if you'd like to talk with me further, you can request a consult with me. Just click the consult online button under my answer. Otherwise, again I'm sorry and I hope this helps somewhat.

I have to agree with Mano's vet. Even though her mammary mass is currently benign, the presence of AMPK angiogenesis indicates that new blood vessels are growing in the mass, which in turn causes the growth of more tumor cells. Surgical excision of the mass with a biopsy afterwards to assure that all tumor cells have been removed is the best course of action.

That's a complicated recommendation to give, especially since we don't know the type of cancer. It is possible that local excision could be curative. It is also possible that after local excision and a diagnosis from histopathology, we find that amputation is needed. In my opinion solely based on the pictures, I would probably remove the tumor and not try to get aggressive clean borders and wait to see what the tumor is before doing anything more drastic.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Fiona. Unfortunately, there is no way to determine if the mass is cancerous or not just by looking at it. Her veterinarian could perform a simple procedure known as a fine needle aspirated. The doctor would use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This can lead to a diagnosis in some cases, but can be inaccurate. For a more accurate diagnosis, the mass would need to surgically removed and the whole mass submitted to the laboratory for a pathologist to review. I understand your hesitancy to do so given her age. That being said, cats have a higher rate of cancerous mammary tumors compared to dogs. Furthermore, the mass appears ulcerated in your picture. This can can associated with malignancy as well. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that it is cancerous. I hope this information helps.

Poor Kitty! Mammary tumors can grow and rupture, so it is possible that she has a mammy tumor that has burst through the skin. It is important to make a decision quickly about treatment with mammary tumors in cats, as 90% of these tumors are malignant with rapid spread to nearby lymph nodes and mammary glands. The sooner she receives treatment if she has mammary cancer, the better for her. I would recommend making a decision as soon as possible regarding treatment for Kitty.