A lemur named Caera at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium faced surgery to have her two cancerous breast tumors removed.
The eleven year old ring-tailed lemur was diagnosed with breast cancer, after a zoo keeper found swelling near her breast.
Read MoreThe two tumors were slightly different, but both were situated within the ducts that bring milk to the nipple. "One was a ductal carcinoma and the other was a tubulopapillary carcinoma,” said Stureon.
And even though she needed two surgeries, Caera’s cancer isn’t that aggressive. “Unfortunately,” said Sturgeon, “based on the histopathology [microscopic examination of body tissue], Caera required a second and more extensive surgery but the good news is that Caera's cancer is relatively low grade.”
Dr. Jack Demos, founder and medical director of SurgiCorp International, assisted Sturgeon with the surgery.
Lemurs are most commonly found on the island of Madagascar
Zoo officials said Caera is resting. She will soon be returned to the Tropical Rain Forest Complex she calls home. In the meantime, Caera’s doctors with monitor her, and give her anti-inflammation drugs.
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