If you noticed at some point, cat is drooling a lot, seems to be uncomfortable, maybe there's a swelling on your cat's face. Well, that's a worry, and that's something you need to go see your vet about. But what could it be? Well, if you're unlucky, you go to the vet, they take a look at it and say that horrible C word: cancer.

The cells in our bodies divide and replace themselves all the time. Cancer is when this division gets out of control. Instead of being regulated, cells just go crazy and start replicating, and they create these tumors. There's two general kinds of tumors, benign and malignant.

Benign means is that even though you've got a tumor there, it's not likely to go anywhere. You've just got a tumor. There are instances when you have a benign tumor that might cause problems if it's leaning against a nerve or something. But the tumor itself, the cancer, is not life threatening.

Malignant cancers do not stay in convenient tumors. Instead, these cells divide and then invade other tissue and take over and displace things. And they spread. This is what we call metastasis, where it gets into your lymph nodes and goes all over the body. This is life-threatening.

Mouth cancers are one type of malignant cancer that is shared by both humans and cats. The most common oral cancers are squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, and melanoma. Squamous cell carcinoma accounts for over 70% of oral tumors in cats. This is what Peanut has.

Melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma are both types of skin cancer. Fibrosarcoma is a cancer of connective tissue like collagen and bone. All three are malignant.

Signs and symptoms - Drooling, bad breath, and swelling are the usual signs of mouth cancer. Unfortunately, by the time these symptoms develop, the cancer is fairly advanced. Bleeding from the mouth, difficulty eating, and weight loss are also symptoms. For Peanut, the first indication was the swelling on her face, which seemed to come on overnight.

Diagnosis - In the case of Peanut (and of Napoleon, who passed due to squamous cell carcinoma earlier in the year) and experienced vet can identify the disease on sight. However the only way to have a positive diagnosis is through biopsy and potentially other diagnostic tests.

Treatment - Unfortunately, by the time oral cancer is recognized in cats, it’s often too late for other treatments. Surgeries can be done to remove a tumor, and radiation and chemotherapy may also be available, but most times are cost prohibitive, and then are only effective if the tumor was discovered early enough. Most of the time, palliative care is the only treatment.

Prognosis - Unfortunately, the prognosis is not good. That’s all I can say.

Prevention - It’s difficult to prevent oral cancers, but you can increase the likelihood of catching such a cancer early with regular veterinary checkups and dental cleanings, as well as reducing your cats exposure to cancer-causing agents such as tobacco smoke or intense direct sunlight.