Pink October
Screeningis for them too
Mammary tumours affect female dogs and cats as well. This October, think of screening your patients: palpating both mammary chains takes two minutes during a consultation.
A reminder for veterinarians and veterinary nurses.
Four figures to keep in mind
1 in 2
In dogs, one mammary tumour in two is malignant.
85–90%
In cats, 85 to 90% of mammary tumours are malignant.
0.5%
Share of an intact bitch's risk that remains after spaying before the first oestrus. After the first: 8%. After the second: 26%.
3 cm · 2 cm
Below 3 cm in dogs and 2 cm in cats, the prognosis is markedly better.
References at the bottom of the page. The figures on spaying in dogs come from a 1969 study whose level of evidence is debated (Beauvais et al., 2012).
Patients to watch closely
In dogs
- Intact female, or spayed after her second oestrus.
- Median age at diagnosis: around 10 years.
- The caudal glands are the most frequently affected.
- Multiple nodules are common: always palpate both chains.
In cats
- Median age at diagnosis: 10 to 12 years.
- Higher risk in Siamese cats.
- Spayed before 6 months, the risk drops by 91%; before 1 year, by 86%.
- Any mammary mass should be considered malignant until proven otherwise.
Five steps during the consultation
Palpate both chains
From axillary to inguinal, gland by gland, at every visit of a female over 6 years old: vaccination, senior check-up, dental scaling.
Measure and record
Diameter with a calliper, location, mobility, ulceration. Size is the first prognostic factor.
Palpate the lymph nodes
Axillary and superficial inguinal. Fine-needle aspiration if in any doubt.
Stage the disease
Three-view thoracic radiographs, or CT, before any surgery.
Send the specimen for histology
Only histology gives the type, grade and margins, and therefore the prognosis.
In the clinic
Blood work before surgery
These patients are usually elderly, and removing a mammary chain is a long procedure. The pre-anaesthetic work-up is done during the consultation, without waiting for an external laboratory.
Three messages for owners
Screening starts at home. To share at reception, in consultation and on the clinic's social media.
Run your hand under your dog's or cat's belly once a month.
A lump, even small, even painless: book an appointment.
Talk about spaying with your veterinarian from the very first visit.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Early spaying greatly reduces the risk but does not eliminate it. Beyond two and a half years of age, no protective effect has been demonstrated.
References
- Schneider R, Dorn CR, Taylor DON. Factors influencing canine mammary cancer development and postsurgical survival. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1969;43:1249-1261.
- Overley B, Shofer FS, Goldschmidt MH, Sherer D, Sorenmo KU. Association between ovarihysterectomy and feline mammary carcinoma. J Vet Intern Med. 2005;19:560-563.
- Beauvais W, Cardwell JM, Brodbelt DC. The effect of neutering on the risk of mammary tumours in dogs: a systematic review. J Small Anim Pract. 2012;53:314-322.
- Sorenmo KU, Worley DR, Goldschmidt MH. Tumors of the mammary gland. In: Withrow & MacEwen's Small Animal Clinical Oncology, 5th ed. Elsevier, 2013.
MELET SCHLOESING Laboratoires supports Pink October.
Pre-operative blood work, in your clinic
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