Feline Mammary Carcinoma as a Comparative Model of Human Breast Cancer: An Integrative Review.

BACKGROUND

Feline mammary carcinoma (FMC) is an aggressive neoplasm in cats and has attracted interest in comparative oncology because selected clinicopathological and molecular features overlap with human breast cancer.

METHODS

This integrative review synthesized literature was identified in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science from database inception to 30 March 2026, focusing on epidemiology, pathology, biomarkers, tumor microenvironment, omics, therapy, and comparative oncology. Feline-derived evidence was distinguished from the human breast cancer literature, and findings were synthesized qualitatively because of substantial methodological and clinical heterogeneity.

RESULTS

FMC shows recurrent associations with aggressive histological features, hormone receptor-negative phenotypes, HER2-related signaling, immune checkpoint pathways, and emerging molecular and liquid-biopsy biomarkers. However, differences in molecular classification, methodology, treatment, cohort size, and clinical validation limit direct cross-species inference.

CONCLUSIONS

FMC may serve as a complementary, question-specific comparative oncology system for studying selected aspects of aggressive mammary tumor biology, metastasis, tumor-host interactions, biomarkers, and therapeutic response. Its translational relevance remains hypothesis-generating and requires standardized methods and independent clinical validation.