Squamous cell carcinoma in cats

Abstract

To evaluate the relevance of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in cats, a retrospective study was performed in which biopsy reports of 332 cutaneous SCCs and 75 oral SCCs in 298 and 72 cats generated during the study period 2003-2023 were analyzed. Cutaneous SCCs accounted for about 40% of all feline cutaneous tumors while SCCs in the oral cavity accounted for 2/3 of all oral tumors, sometimes reaching 100%. The animals diagnosed with had a median age of 10 years, although we observed that cats with oral carcinomas had a significantly higher median age (12.00, IQR: 10.00-15.00) than those with cutaneous carcinomas (9.00, IQR: 6.00-10.00). In terms of anatomical location, oral SCCs were mainly located in the gums (around 40%) while up to 80% of cutaneous SCCs were in the ears and ear canal (where, in addition, all cases of multiple tumors were located) and in non-specific locations of the head and face. The variables of sex, breed, spay/neuter status and municipality were analyzed, although no significant relationship was found that could be associated with the diagnosis of SCC in the Canary Islands feline population