(LONG)
Hello all, i haven't posted here in a while, but here goes. My molly is 7 yrs old spayed female. She was just diagnosed with having a mast cell tumor a few weeks ago. I noticed the the tumor roughly 2-3 months earlier but thought nothing of it as she just had aspirates done on 2 other masses and both came back as lipomas, so i assumed this was another. Well, it turned out to be a mass cell tumor which seemed like it popped up overnight but hasn't grown for the 2-3 months. So we went to an oncologist for consultation. We knew going in that due to the spot where the tumor was (hind leg wrapped around tendon), it would be impossible to get clean margins. So we started surgery knowing we couldnt remove all of it, but was still the best option to remove as much as they could. They told me surgery went well and all things considered, they feel they got as much as they could out and only microscopic cells should be left over. They aspirated the local lymph nodes to make sure it didnt spread, which was the case. The biopsy came back as a low grade 2 (grade 2 acting like grade 1).
Due to not being able to remover tumor entirely, the next recommended step is radiation. $6.5k procedure plus going to the hospital mon-fri for the next 2 weeks. Originally, they told me that they feel they got all the visible tumor tissue out and only microscopic cells should be left over. Now they're telling me that they think they might've left actual physical cancerous tissue. If the former, i would've felt confident just waiting and seeing if the tumor comes back again as ya'll may know, at worst there are only 1 in 3 cases where the tumor comes back even with incomplete margins/excision. With the latter (physical tissue left over), chances of recurrence are more than 80%. This is where radiation comes in. They told me that radiation is the best option we have to have the best chance the tumor won't come back, but as ya'll know radiation is no guarantee either, especially when radiation now has to kill physical tissue as opposed to just microscopic cells.
I asked about my other options and my oncologist really didn't give any as she said radiation is my best option. She said we could wait and see but its going to be a gamble and they believe the tumor will come back. I also asked whether if the tumor does come back, will it be the same low grade tumor or will it be worse. She told me usually it will come back the same but has a chance to be worse. Most mast cell tumor website state the opposite that they will almost always come back worse....Do i believe the interwebs or an oncology intern and resident consulting with the head oncologist over at this particular university vet hospital??
Right now, im leaning towards just waiting and seeing. If it does likely come back, the plan is to just remove it again. Prednisone, benadryl, and pepcid for the next 4 months to help. Im just very afraid that it might come back only in a year or less, and we would have to do surgery again and at that time do radiation.
Honestly, i would have to borrow the money for radiation in some way as i do not have that kind of money. What would you guys do in my shoes? Again to summarize, its a low grade 2 tumor that was localized and not spread, imcomplete excision due to location, radiation recommended but not guaranteed cure although 80-95% chance of non-recurrence, and wait and see is the other option but doctor feels that there is a good chance it will return. Thanks again for your help!!
Roy and Molly
Hello all, i haven't posted here in a while, but here goes. My molly is 7 yrs old spayed female. She was just diagnosed with having a mast cell tumor a few weeks ago. I noticed the the tumor roughly 2-3 months earlier but thought nothing of it as she just had aspirates done on 2 other masses and both came back as lipomas, so i assumed this was another. Well, it turned out to be a mass cell tumor which seemed like it popped up overnight but hasn't grown for the 2-3 months. So we went to an oncologist for consultation. We knew going in that due to the spot where the tumor was (hind leg wrapped around tendon), it would be impossible to get clean margins. So we started surgery knowing we couldnt remove all of it, but was still the best option to remove as much as they could. They told me surgery went well and all things considered, they feel they got as much as they could out and only microscopic cells should be left over. They aspirated the local lymph nodes to make sure it didnt spread, which was the case. The biopsy came back as a low grade 2 (grade 2 acting like grade 1).
Due to not being able to remover tumor entirely, the next recommended step is radiation. $6.5k procedure plus going to the hospital mon-fri for the next 2 weeks. Originally, they told me that they feel they got all the visible tumor tissue out and only microscopic cells should be left over. Now they're telling me that they think they might've left actual physical cancerous tissue. If the former, i would've felt confident just waiting and seeing if the tumor comes back again as ya'll may know, at worst there are only 1 in 3 cases where the tumor comes back even with incomplete margins/excision. With the latter (physical tissue left over), chances of recurrence are more than 80%. This is where radiation comes in. They told me that radiation is the best option we have to have the best chance the tumor won't come back, but as ya'll know radiation is no guarantee either, especially when radiation now has to kill physical tissue as opposed to just microscopic cells.
I asked about my other options and my oncologist really didn't give any as she said radiation is my best option. She said we could wait and see but its going to be a gamble and they believe the tumor will come back. I also asked whether if the tumor does come back, will it be the same low grade tumor or will it be worse. She told me usually it will come back the same but has a chance to be worse. Most mast cell tumor website state the opposite that they will almost always come back worse....Do i believe the interwebs or an oncology intern and resident consulting with the head oncologist over at this particular university vet hospital??
Right now, im leaning towards just waiting and seeing. If it does likely come back, the plan is to just remove it again. Prednisone, benadryl, and pepcid for the next 4 months to help. Im just very afraid that it might come back only in a year or less, and we would have to do surgery again and at that time do radiation.
Honestly, i would have to borrow the money for radiation in some way as i do not have that kind of money. What would you guys do in my shoes? Again to summarize, its a low grade 2 tumor that was localized and not spread, imcomplete excision due to location, radiation recommended but not guaranteed cure although 80-95% chance of non-recurrence, and wait and see is the other option but doctor feels that there is a good chance it will return. Thanks again for your help!!
Roy and Molly
