3/25/2023 0 Comments Spindle cell sarcoma in dogs![]() ![]() Tiger’s first surgery should have had much wider margins, to reduce the risk of recurrence. The point I’m making here is that for both of these cases, the cancers might have (essentially) been cured if they had been treated with more assertive methods early, while they were still small tumors. At this point, the mass is greater than 3 cm. Unfortunately, I did not see the case until this week, four months after that biopsy. At that point, the mass was still small, about 1cm, and likely still a good candidate for surgical removal. Her vet prescribed steroids and antibiotics, which did not help for long. Tulip’s Guardian first visited her vet five months ago, after she noticed a small mass on the side of her face. She also had a low grade sarcoma, a peripheral nerve sheath tumor, on the right side of muzzle. The second kitty I saw this week was Tulip. We didn’t want to do another resection (surgery), because we would end up with a minimal margin, and that would lead to another recurrence. The surgery last year did not get wide enough margins. Surgery was no longer an option, as there was no way to get wide enough margins, and (most importantly) leave a functional mouth so the kitty could eat once he recovered. ![]() Unfortunately, based on the CT scan, the tumor and its tentacles extended too far back. But just looking at a tumor doesn ’ t tell the whole story, so, to be sure, we did a CT scan. ![]() This week, as I visually inspected Tiger’s mouth with our surgeon at our practice, I was cautiously optimistic that surgery was an option. How big a margin? That’s what can be tricky to figure out by “just monitoring” it. We need a wide, clean “margin” of tissue. It is these tentacles that make recurrence after surgery common if the surgery does not also remove a large amount of tissue around the tumor. The tumor was a low grade fibrosarcoma, which, as in in dogs, is a malignant connective tissue cancer with tentacle-like projections that extend out from the visible tumor. Think about how big a cat’s head is, and you’ll see that is a big tumor. I know this is a blog about dog cancer, but these cases illustrate exactly why it can be problematic to wait too long to take action – no matter what species we’re talking about.Įarlier in the week, I met Tiger, a big 16 year old cat with a recurrent tumor on his lower jaw, up front by the incisors. This week I saw two cases that really depressed and frustrated me. I feel we are waiting too long, for too many masses. While many skin masses are benign, some of these masses may also be slow-growing malignant tumors and it is better to remove them early, when it is more likely that the tumor can be completely removed with wide margins with the FIRST surgery. In my veterinary training, I was taught that if a mass is not growing or changing in appearance, it is likely ok to do nothing and leave it – “just continue to monitor.” It’s been ten plus years since I started my medical oncology residency, and from my experience treating dogs and cats with cancer, that is not always the best advice. But how long is ok? What size is too big? Are there actual guidelines? I too have advised that to my pet Guardians. Have you been told to “just watch” a lump or mass on your dog by a veterinarian? I wouldn’t be surprised if you have. ![]()
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