| Tracheal Cancer in Cats and Dogs |
| What are tracheal tumors? Trachea refers to the tube that carries air to the lungs. Several different types of primary tracheal cancer have been reported, including lymphoma, chnodrosarcoma, adenocarcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Trachea can also be the site to which other cancers spread, namely thyroid adenocarcinoma or lymphoma. . Source: www.infovisual.info/02/069_en.html How common are these tumors? Cancer in the trachea is rare in cats and dogs. What are the symptoms? Pets with tracheal cancer usually show signs of coughing and exercise intolerance. How is the diagnosis made? In order to confirm cancer of the trachea, the veterinarian will have to do a biopsy with the help of fiberoptic instruments or bronchoscope (a tube is inserted into the airways, usually through the nose or mouth). Alternatively, open surgical biopsy with or without excision can be done. Does cancer cause pain in pets? Pain is common in pets with cancer, with some tumors causing more pain than others. In addition to pain caused by the actual tumors, pets will also experience pain associated with cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Untreated pain decreases the pet's quality of life, and prolongs recovery from the illness, treatment or injury. It is, therefore, essential that veterinary teams that are taking care of pets with cancer should also play a vital role in educating pet owners about recognizing and managing pain in their pets. The best way to manage cancer pain in pets is to prevent it, a term referred to as preemptive pain management. This strategy anticipates pain ahead of time and administers pain medication before the pet actually experiences pain, thus ensuring the pet's maximum comfort. To learn more about which tumors are likely to cause a lot of pain, how to recognize pain in pets with cancer and what cancer pain management options are available for your pet, please visit the Cancer Pain Management section. How important is nutritional support for pets with cancer? Cancer cachexia (a term referring to progressive severe weight loss) is frequently observed in pets with cancer. Pets with cancer lose weight partly because of lack of appetite and partly because of cancer-induced altered metabolism. Some of the causes for decreased appetite are related to the cancer itself (for example, tumors may physically interfere with food chewing, swallowing, and digestion process) and some may be related to the side effects of cancer treatment (for example, some chemotherapy drugs cause nausea and vomiting, and radiation therapy can cause mouth inflammation). Proper nutrition while undergoing cancer treatment is essential to maintain your pet's strength, improve survival times, quality of life and maximize response to therapy. Adequate nutritional support was shown to decrease the duration of hospitalization, reduce post-surgery complications and enhance the healing process. Additionally, pets with cancer need to be fed diets specifically designed to provide maximum benefit and nutritional support for the patient. To learn more, please visit the Cancer Nutrition section. What are the treatment options for tracheal tumors in cats and dogs? Tracheal tumors are usually treated by surgery. What is the prognosis for cats and dogs with tracheal tumors? Benign lesions of the trachea have a good prognosis if they can be surgically removed. Because these cancers are rare, there is not much information available on the prognosis of malignant tracheal cancers. Are there any clinical trials? There are no clinical trials specifically designed to treat this type of cancer but there are several clinical trials available for cats and dogs with any tumor type for which your pet may qualify. To learn more these trials (which are partially or fully funded by the institutions), please visit the Dog Clinical Trials (any tumor type) or Cat Clinical Trials (any tumor type) section. To learn more about veterinary clinical trials in general, please visit the Pet Clinical Trials section. Additional online resources: Sources:
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| PET CANCER CENTER Comprehensive guide to cancer diagnosis and treatment in cats and dogs |
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Last updated 2/19/2017
