What Are the Treatments for Cancer of the Kidney in Cats?

There are a number of different types of kidney or renal cancer in cats. According to the Long Beach Animal Hospital, the most common type of renal cancer is lymphosarcoma, a form of the disease that initially begins in the lymph nodes and spreads throughout the body. Other types of feline kidney cancer include adenocarcinoma, fibroma and adenoma, among others. Treatment options vary depending upon the type and stage of the cancer.

  1. Chemotherapy

    • According to the All Cats Health Care Clinic, cancer in cats is treated with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy kills the malignant cells in the cat's body. This treatment has some unpleasant reactions and side effects. The cat may experience a generalized loss of appetite, a high fever, or develop vomiting along with nausea and diarrhea from the medication. Other symptoms are specific to the medication that is administered. For example, an adverse reaction from doxorubicin causes bloody diarrhea and hair loss. Cytarabine causes mouth ulcers and liver dysfunction, and prednisolone causes the cat to drink, eat and urinate more often. It may also lead to bloody stool from intestinal ulcers. However, chemotherapy also prolongs the cat's life, and the risk of the animal becoming ill from chemotherapy is minimal according to Dr. Wendy Brooks, writer for the Veterinary Partner website.

    Radiation Therapy

    • Radiation therapy is useful for cancers that have not metastasized, or spread to other areas of the body. Pet Education explains that radiation works in combination with chemotherapy or surgery to shrink or kill cancerous tumors. It is also used as a generalized treatment to relieve the symptoms of the disease and improve the remaining quality of the cat's life. Radiation therapy works by focusing beams of electrons or gamma rays directly on the tumor. This alters the tumor's cellular structure and slows down its growth. Radiation therapy is administered over a period of two to five weeks, according to Pet Education. The potential side effects include skin problems and hair loss.

    Surgery

    • Sometimes a cancerous tumor can be removed through surgery. The Pet Cancer Center explains that if the cancer is caught and the surgery is performed in the earliest stages, this can cure the disease because it prevents it from spreading to other areas of the body. The veterinarian will remove both the tumor and a portion of the surrounding tissues to ensure that the disease is permanently removed. If the tumor cannot be removed or the cancer is too widespread, certain types of surgery will relieve the cancer symptoms and make the animal more comfortable throughout the end of life process. The website adds that other types of surgery that are performed are the insertion of feeding tubes, placing catheters for intravenous chemotherapy, and emergency surgery for severe internal bleeding or pain.