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Write An Essay On Mast Cell Tumor

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Mast cells are a type of normal white blood cell and are part of the immune system. Mast cell tumors comprise about 20% of all skin tumors in felines. These tumors can be benign or malignant. Over 90% of mast cell tumors that occur in the skin of felines are benign while mast cell tumors that occur in internal organs tend to be more aggressive. This disease is more common in middle aged cats, and Siamese cats tend to be predisposed to getting this disease. If a cat is suffering from skin mast cell tumors you should notice small, firm, raised, hairless nodules usually around the head, neck, trunk, and limbs but they can also appear in other areas on the cat. Typically a cat with mast cell tumors of the skin don’t show any signs of systemic illness, while cats that get mast cell tumors on internal organs may show more signs of systemic illness. Felines with mast cell tumors on their organs can become …show more content…

If a tumor is seen on ultrasound on an internal organ a fine needle aspiration can still be done but will probably require some sedation. Once a mast cell tumor has been diagnosed there is a few treatment options for a feline patient. Surgery is the treatment of choice for cats with mast cell tumors of the skin as long as there are not too many mast cell tumors for a surgeon to remove. Most mast cell tumors are benign so surgically removing them is likely to cure this disease. If the tumors are on the organs of the cat surgery is not usually recommended, unless the spleen is involved then the surgeon can just be removed. If the tumor is cancerous chemotherapy medications have been reported as having good responses and are even recommended for cats. Steroids and drugs that block histamine receptors can both reduce the clinical signs of inflammation associated with mast cell

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