Nearly 500 Cats Reveal New Clues About How Cancer Develops

A landmark international study analyzing tumors from nearly 500 pet cats is shedding new light on how cancer develops — and how feline cancers may help accelerate breakthroughs in human cancer treatment.

Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Bern, and Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, along with global collaborators, have completed the first large-scale genomic profiling of feline cancers.

The findings, published in Science, identify genetic mutations that drive cancer development in cats and reveal striking similarities between feline and human cancers — strengthening the growing concept of comparative oncology.

Cats Share Environmental and Genetic Cancer Risks With Humans

Cats often live in the same environments as their owners and are exposed to many of the same carcinogenic risk factors, including:

• Household chemical exposures

• Environmental pollutants

• Aging-related cellular mutations

To conduct the study, researchers analyzed DNA from tumor samples that had already been collected during routine veterinary diagnostic procedures, minimizing additional procedures for animal patients.

Scientists screened approximately 1,000 human cancer-associated genes across tumor and healthy tissue samples from nearly 500 cats representing 13 different cancer types.

Results showed that many of the genetic mutations driving cancer development in cats mirror those seen in human oncology.

Mammary Cancer Findings Show Strong Human Parallels

One of the most significant discoveries involved feline mammary carcinoma — one of the most common and aggressive cancers in cats.

Researchers identified several cancer “driver genes,” including:

• FBXW7, mutated in more than 50% of feline mammary tumors

• PIK3CA, found in about 47% of tumors

Mutations in FBXW7 are also associated with poorer cancer prognosis in human breast cancer patients, suggesting shared biological mechanisms between species.

The study also found that tumors carrying FBXW7 mutations showed increased sensitivity to certain chemotherapy drugs in laboratory testing. While these results are preliminary and were conducted using tissue samples rather than clinical trials, they may help guide future precision oncology approaches in both veterinary and human medicine.

Similarly, PIK3CA mutations are already targeted in human medicine using PI3K inhibitor drugs, raising the possibility that similar therapeutic strategies could eventually benefit feline cancer patients.

Cancer Genetics Across Multiple Organ Systems

Beyond mammary tumors, researchers found shared genetic mutation patterns in cancers affecting:

• Blood

• Bone

• Lung

• Skin

• Gastrointestinal tract

• Central nervous system

These findings reinforce the idea that studying naturally occurring cancers in pets can provide valuable insights into human disease biology.

One Medicine and the Future of Cancer Research

The research strongly supports the “One Medicine” or One Health oncology model, which promotes collaboration between human and veterinary medicine.

Under this approach:

• Treatments effective in human patients may be evaluated in veterinary clinical trials

• Naturally occurring cancers in pets can help accelerate translational drug development

• Comparative genomics may help identify new therapeutic targets

Scientists believe data generated from feline cancer patients could eventually help guide human clinical trial design while simultaneously improving cancer treatment options for companion animals.

Why This Matters for Veterinarians

For veterinary professionals, this study highlights several important trends:

• Precision medicine is expanding into veterinary oncology

• Genetic tumor profiling may become increasingly important in clinical decision-making

• Comparative oncology is becoming a major driver of cancer research funding and innovation

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in cats worldwide, yet relatively little genomic research has historically focused on feline cancer biology — making this dataset a significant scientific milestone.