A large-scale genomic study of nearly 500 domestic cats has found that many cancer-associated genetic mutations are shared between cats and humans, including mutations linked to human breast cancer.
Researchers analysed tumour samples from cats across multiple countries and cancer types, identifying overlapping cancer-driving genes in both species. One of the most notable findings was that mutations in the FBXW7 gene, which is associated with poorer outcomes in human breast cancer, were also frequently observed in feline mammary tumours. The study also reported that cat cancers share genetic alterations with human cancers affecting the blood, bone, lung, skin, gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system.
'We were surprised by the extent of the similarities between feline and human cancers,' said Dr Louise van der Weyden, senior author of the study published in Science and a researcher at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, near Cambridge.
The Washington Post has more information.