Talk Cancer

Question:

I spent 6 weeks 950 miles from home with my dog who underwent radiation therapy for mast cell tumor. At the same time, an elderly Siamese was also receiving radiation. She did even better than Bruce (our dog) – no hair loss, no adverse effects at all. Bruce did great (except for the big shaved area on his side, you’d never have known anything was being done) until the last few days, when his skin took on the typical burned appearance. That is healing now, though the question remains as to whether the fur will grow back (I can see some hairs coming in). Bruce is 10 and in good health otherwise. We didn’t want to put him through anything so tramatic as radiation, but the vets said it wouldn’t be too hard on him, and it wasn’t. I’d recommend it to any pet owner for whom the therapy will offer a good prognosis. You’ll find excellent information at a site called Caring for Pets with Cancer (really detailed info – not just the usual pleasantries): http://funnelweb.utcc.utk.edu/~ypd634/       or possibly by now (supposed to change June 1): http://web.utk.edu/~ypd634/ Good luck & feel free to e-mail me with specific questions

Response:

I have a 11.5 year old neutered male cat who just had a biopsy done today. Although the results don’t come in for two days, it appears to the vet to be a sarcoma.  The tumor is located in his sinus cavity and has begun to make his nose appear misshapen.  He has not eaten nor drank in days, and the vet has inserted a feeding tube through his neck.  Poor Pete has lost nearly half his body weight (from 16 to 8 something), but the vet reports that his internal organs seem fine.  Initially it was thought to be a mere bacterial infection in his nose, and he has been on antiobiotics for two months.  This is the third vet he’s been to, and this one is a specialist so I hope he knows what he’s doing. My question:  the specialist tells me that the course of treatment should the biopsy come back as a sarcoma or carcinoma, is to radiate the tumor, a quite costly treatment and one we’ll have to travel 100 miles for to receive.  The specialist also tells me that most cats respond well to radiation with little discomfort other than slight hair loss in some, and that the average lifespan for cats who have received this type of radiation therapy is 12 to 18 months.  Do any of you out there have any advice for this situation?  Have you had a cat undergo radiation, and if so what was the outcome and how did the cat react? Any input will be greatly appreciated.  Please direct your email to my address but leave off the SPAMFREE.  Thanks! — Jules

Response:

I spent 6 weeks 950 miles from home with my dog who underwent radiation therapy for mast cell tumor. At the same time, an elderly Siamese was also receiving radiation. She did even better than Bruce (our dog) – no hair loss, no adverse effects at all. Bruce did great (except for the big shaved area on his side, you’d never have known anything was being done) until the last few days, when his skin took on the typical burned appearance. That is healing now, though the question remains as to whether the fur will grow back (I can see some hairs coming in). Bruce is 10 and in good health otherwise. We didn’t want to put him through anything so tramatic as radiation, but the vets said it wouldn’t be too hard on him, and it wasn’t. I’d recommend it to any pet owner for whom the therapy will offer a good prognosis. You’ll find excellent information at a site called Caring for Pets with Cancer (really detailed info – not just the usual pleasantries): http://funnelweb.utcc.utk.edu/~ypd634/       or possibly by now (supposed to change June 1): http://web.utk.edu/~ypd634/ Good luck & feel free to e-mail me with specific questions

Response:

I have a 11.5 year old neutered male cat who just had a biopsy done today. Although the results don’t come in for two days, it appears to the vet to be a sarcoma.  The tumor is located in his sinus cavity and has begun to make his nose appear misshapen.  He has not eaten nor drank in days, and the vet has inserted a feeding tube through his neck.  Poor Pete has lost nearly half his body weight (from 16 to 8 something), but the vet reports that his internal organs seem fine.  Initially it was thought to be a mere bacterial infection in his nose, and he has been on antiobiotics for two months.  This is the third vet he’s been to, and this one is a specialist so I hope he knows what he’s doing. My question:  the specialist tells me that the course of treatment should the biopsy come back as a sarcoma or carcinoma, is to radiate the tumor, a quite costly treatment and one we’ll have to travel 100 miles for to receive.  The specialist also tells me that most cats respond well to radiation with little discomfort other than slight hair loss in some, and that the average lifespan for cats who have received this type of radiation therapy is 12 to 18 months.  Do any of you out there have any advice for this situation?  Have you had a cat undergo radiation, and if so what was the outcome and how did the cat react? Any input will be greatly appreciated.  Please direct your email to my address but leave off the SPAMFREE.  Thanks! — Jules

Response:

I spent 6 weeks 950 miles from home with my dog who underwent radiation therapy for mast cell tumor. At the same time, an elderly Siamese was also receiving radiation. She did even better than Bruce (our dog) – no hair loss, no adverse effects at all. Bruce did great (except for the big shaved area on his side, you’d never have known anything was being done) until the last few days, when his skin took on the typical burned appearance. That is healing now, though the question remains as to whether the fur will grow back (I can see some hairs coming in). Bruce is 10 and in good health otherwise. We didn’t want to put him through anything so tramatic as radiation, but the vets said it wouldn’t be too hard on him, and it wasn’t. I’d recommend it to any pet owner for whom the therapy will offer a good prognosis. You’ll find excellent information at a site called Caring for Pets with Cancer (really detailed info – not just the usual pleasantries): http://funnelweb.utcc.utk.edu/~ypd634/       or possibly by now (supposed to change June 1): http://web.utk.edu/~ypd634/ Good luck & feel free to e-mail me with specific questions

Response:

I have a 11.5 year old neutered male cat who just had a biopsy done today. Although the results don’t come in for two days, it appears to the vet to be a sarcoma.  The tumor is located in his sinus cavity and has begun to make his nose appear misshapen.  He has not eaten nor drank in days, and the vet has inserted a feeding tube through his neck.  Poor Pete has lost nearly half his body weight (from 16 to 8 something), but the vet reports that his internal organs seem fine.  Initially it was thought to be a mere bacterial infection in his nose, and he has been on antiobiotics for two months.  This is the third vet he’s been to, and this one is a specialist so I hope he knows what he’s doing. My question:  the specialist tells me that the course of treatment should the biopsy come back as a sarcoma or carcinoma, is to radiate the tumor, a quite costly treatment and one we’ll have to travel 100 miles for to receive.  The specialist also tells me that most cats respond well to radiation with little discomfort other than slight hair loss in some, and that the average lifespan for cats who have received this type of radiation therapy is 12 to 18 months.  Do any of you out there have any advice for this situation?  Have you had a cat undergo radiation, and if so what was the outcome and how did the cat react? Any input will be greatly appreciated.  Please direct your email to my address but leave off the SPAMFREE.  Thanks! — Jules

Response: