TLDR Skin disorders in pets can help detect hidden cancers early.
The review discussed cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes in dogs and cats, which are noncancerous skin disorders linked to internal malignancies. These syndromes can aid in the early detection and treatment of underlying cancers. While over 30 such disorders were identified in humans, only a few were recognized in veterinary medicine, possibly due to lower incidence or lack of recognition. Notable syndromes in animals included feline paraneoplastic alopecia, feline thymoma-associated exfoliative dermatitis, and paraneoplastic pemphigus. The causes of these syndromes remained largely unknown in both humans and animals.
66 citations,
February 2002 in “Veterinary dermatology” Malassezia in cat skin biopsies may indicate internal cancer.
52 citations,
January 1999 in “Journal of Small Animal Practice” Removing a cat's pancreatic cancer can temporarily reverse hair loss caused by the disease.
57 citations,
August 1998 in “The journal of small animal practice/Journal of small animal practice” Malassezia-associated dermatitis can cause itching in cats with feline paraneoplastic alopecia.
48 citations,
March 1997 in “Veterinary Dermatology” Some cats with sudden hair loss and tiredness might have cancer-related alopecia.
2 citations,
March 2019 in “Veterinary dermatology” Thymoma in cats can cause hair loss without inflammation.
4 citations,
July 2015 in “Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery Open Reports” A cat with hair loss and illness was found to have cancer spread from its colon.
April 2018 in “Blackwell's Five‐Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion” Some skin conditions in pets can signal cancer or may develop into cancer, and monitoring or treating these can help detect or manage the disease.
9 citations,
November 2014 in “Journal of feline medicine and surgery” Lymphocytic mural folliculitis in cats might be an early sign of pancreatic cancer.
1 citations,
July 2021 in “Veterinary Medicine and Science” A cat's skin condition was fully cured with cyclosporine A after other treatments failed.
