Mapping Feline Oncology in Portugal: A National Characterization

This retrospective study describes the national histopathology caseload of feline tumours submitted to a Portuguese diagnostic laboratory over a five-year period. A total of 1904 histopathology-confirmed neoplasms were analysed by biological behaviour, anatomical location, and demographic/geographical variables. Malignant tumours predominated (77.4%), whereas 22.6% were benign. Tumours most commonly involved the mammary gland (44.8%) and cutaneous/soft tissues (42.4%), together accounting for 87.2% of cases; all other sites were individually uncommon (≤5.6%). The most frequent malignant tumour types were mammary carcinoma (38.3%), fibrosarcoma (8.0%), squamous cell carcinoma (6.4%), and mast cell tumour (4.8%). Cats with malignant tumours were older than those with benign lesions (p < 0.001), and females comprised most submissions (69.3%), largely driven by mammary neoplasia. Multiple, histologically distinct tumours were identified in 8.3% of cats and were more frequent in older females (p = 0.001). Domestic Shorthairs comprised the vast majority of cases, and no significant associations were detected between breed (including pure breeds) or geographical location and tumour occurrence or biological behaviour (p > 0.05). These findings highlight a sustained predominance of malignant disease in Portuguese cats, concentrated in mammary and cutaneous/soft-tissue sites, supporting a low threshold for biopsy in older cats and systematic mammary screening in females, and continued registry-based surveillance to monitor temporal changes in tumour patterns.