Good news, sort of (Sithreal Update)

[helen99]

This morning at around 8 am we dropped Sithreal off at the vet to get chest x-rays and an abdominal ultrasound. Just got the results back.

Chest x-ray - negative
Abdominal ultrasound - negative

However:

The vet detected one more very small lump under the nipple just next to the one he just removed. This kind of cancer can affect the whole chain at the same time. In this case, two were affected so far. The first tumor was 1.2cm and the second was 0.5cm.

Both tumors were well under 2cm, which is the widely accepted cutoff point for a bad prognosis. Therefore, the vet said that he has a good chance of permanently beating it. My office mate increased my confidence by saying that her dog responded well to similar treatment and is alive and cancer-free years later.

The next step:

He has an appointment for next Thursday to remove the entire chain of nipples plus lymph nodes on the affected side. This would have been the case whether or not we had found the second lump, but its detection reinforced the fact that this is the right way to go. This surgery will require stitches for two weeks, more pain meds, and two weeks of confinement in the room.

Once he's healed from that, he'll go back in every three months for an exam. Meanwhile, we will consult the oncologist to determine if it's advisable for him to get a short round of chemotherapy to make sure all cancer cells are eradicated. According to the vet, the chemo they administer to cats does not cause nausea or fur loss.

I hate to put him through this, but with this kind of cancer you don't play around, and I think that with this treatment, he might have another 5-8 good years left (especially if he loses the recommended amount of weight). I think he is going to be ok.

Comments

Breathes a tentative sigh of relief

[daughterofodhin.livejournal.com]

still sucks the more surgery etc, but at least there is a glimmer of good news hope.

[christinemis.livejournal.com]

*hugs*
I'm glad to hear it wasn't worse.

[czarina-laura.livejournal.com]

Yay! Continued good wishes!!!

[lupabitch.livejournal.com]

Awww--poor guy. However, I really, really hope it works out for him!

[fearadyn.livejournal.com]

Yup~this does not suprise me. Also I would advise going ahead and doing the chemo also, just in case there are any stray cells floating around.

[fearadyn.livejournal.com]

Oh and just thought I would mention this also. When I managed a cancer registry the oncologist and other physicians had alot of disscusions concerning doing a double mastectomy when a younger female presented with breast cancer, especially any fast spreading types.

The thing is, if there is any breast tissue left, this type of person is always at high risk.

That said there are many other things to factor in, like, the general health of the person and how they recover from such a large surgery. And of course if there was any lympathic spread, it would do no good in the end anyway, and that is when you must rely on chemo. But it seems he has no lymph node spread, or I would be suprised if he did. But you would not know that until pathology is done on the lymph nodes.

It seems like alot, and I don't know about this type of treatment concerning cats, or the recurrence rate of this cellular type, but it may be something else to discuss with the oncologist.

Who knows, perhaps it is completly different in cats.

[ignited-spark.livejournal.com]

Awww. Will keep him and you guys in my prayers.

[vashti.livejournal.com]

That's - still not good, but so much better than it could have been. Will be thinking of him and you.