Woman petting a cat

A recent study published in the journal Science and led by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute together with the Ontario Veterinary College and the University of Bern suggests that the domestic cat could be a key piece to better understand breast cancer, especially the more aggressive forms. Researchers have noted that many feline mammary tumors share biological and genetic characteristics with those seen in humans, making these animals a valuable natural model for oncology research.

The scientific work points out that analyzing how the disease develops in cats makes it possible to study factors that influence the appearance and progression of cancer in real conditions, since they live with people and are exposed to similar environments. This makes it easier to identify common mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets that could benefit both veterinary and human medicine.

Experts point out that certain subtypes of breast cancer in cats show clear parallels with particularly aggressive human variants, opening the door to more precisely testing treatments and prevention strategies. In addition, the genetic knowledge obtained helps to understand why some tumors evolve more quickly or respond differently to treatments.

All in all, the findings reinforce the idea that studying diseases in companion animals can accelerate medical advances under the shared health approach, driving new lines of research that could improve breast cancer diagnosis and therapies in the future.

Source: ElMundo.es