A large international study has mapped the genetic landscape of feline cancers for the first time, revealing striking similarities between tumor-driving mutations in cats, humans, and dogs.
The genetics of cat tumors are no longer a “black box,” according to researchers behind a new study that represents one of the most significant advances in feline cancer research.
Published in Science, the research provides the first large-scale genetic analysis of cancers in domestic cats. The findings could deepen scientific understanding of cancer in both animals and humans. The project has also produced a publicly available resource that other researchers can use to study the genetics of feline cancers.
Cancer is one of the most common causes of illness and death in cats. Even so, scientists have historically had limited information about the genetic factors behind these diseases.
That gap in knowledge is something the new study aims to address, says Dr. Geoffrey Wood, a pathobiology professor at the University of Guelph and co-senior author of the international research project.
“Despite domestic cats being common pets, there was very little known about the genetics of cancer in these animals,” Wood says, “until now.”
Cancer-driving genes are similar between cats and humans
To investigate how cancers develop in cats, researchers analyzed tumor samples from nearly 500 domestic cats collected across five countries. By examining the DNA of these tumors, the team identified genetic changes that contribute to cancer development.
The analysis revealed striking similarities between cancer-related genes in cats, humans, and dogs. Researchers identified several driver genes that play a key role in the development of particular cancers, including aggressive mammary tumors.
One gene stood out in feline mammary cancer. Mutations in the gene FBXW7 appeared in more than 50 percent of the cat tumors examined. In human breast cancer, changes in the same FBXW7 gene are linked with poorer outcomes for patients, which closely reflects the pattern observed in cats.
The study also found parallels with human cancer genes in tumors affecting the blood, bone, lungs, skin, gastrointestinal system, and central nervous system.
Because cats share homes and environments with their owners, they are exposed to many of the same potential cancer-related environmental risks. As a result, some underlying causes of cancer may overlap between the two species.
“This study can help us understand more about why cancer develops in cats and humans, how the world around us influences cancer risk, and possibly find new ways to prevent and treat it,” says Wood.
Early clues about treatment responses
Researchers also discovered that certain chemotherapy drugs appeared to work better in feline mammary tumors that contained mutations in the FBXW7 gene.
This effect was observed in laboratory studies using tissue samples. Although further research is needed, the finding suggests possible new treatment approaches that could eventually benefit both cats and people with breast cancer.
“Having access to such a large set of donated tissues allowed us to assess drug responses across tumor types,” says Dr. Sven Rottenberg, co-senior author at the University of Bern, “in a way that hasn’t been possible at this scale before.”
Bailey Francis, co-first author at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, says the work could also have implications for cancer research in dogs.
“When knowledge and data flows between different disciplines, we can all benefit.”
‘One Medicine’ approach calls for research between disciplines, species
The study brought together scientists from several institutions, including the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College, the University of Bern, and other research organizations.
Researchers sequenced DNA from tumor tissue samples that veterinarians had previously collected for diagnostic testing.
The results suggest that treatments developed for humans could potentially be evaluated in cats. At the same time, discoveries made through cancer clinical trials in domestic cats may help guide future human trials.
This strategy is often described as the One Medicine approach. It encourages collaboration between veterinary and human medical research so that discoveries in one field can inform progress in the other, benefiting both people and animals.
Dr Louise Van Der Weyden, senior author at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, says the findings open the door to future work aimed at improving cancer care for cats.
“We can now begin to take the next steps forwards towards precision feline oncology, to catch up with the diagnostic and therapeutic options that are available for dogs with cancer, and ultimately one day, humans.”
Reference: “The oncogenome of the domestic cat” by Bailey A. Francis, Latasha Ludwig, Chang He, Melanie Dobromylskyj, Christof A. Bertram, Heike Aupperle-Lellbach, Hannah Wong, Aiden P. Foster, Mark J. Arends, Alejandro Suárez-Bonnet, Simon L. Priestnall, Laetitia Tatiersky, Fernanda Castillo-Alcala, Angie Rupp, Arlene Khachadoorian, Eda Parlak, Marine Inglebert, Shevaniee Umamaheswaran, Saamin Cheema, Martin Del Castillo Velasco-Herrera, Kim Wong, Ian C. Vermes, Jamie Billington, Sven Rottenberg, Geoffrey A. Wood, David J. Adams and Louise van der Weyden, 19 February 2026, Science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.ady6651
This research was funded in part by EveryCat Health Foundation, the CVS Group, Wellcome, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Swiss National Science Foundation. A full acknowledgement list is found in the publication.
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