Mast Cell Tumors

[Watsonsmom]

Anyone have any experience with mast cell tumors?

i have a 4.5 year old lab. Had a low grade II tumor removed last January. I found one in a different spot last week and it is also mast cell. Will absolutely have it removed but worried about his prognosis long term. We were also looking to schedule his second TPLO for a partial tear. His surgeon works in the same practice as his wife who coincidentally treats cancer in pets. So they are comfortable doing both surgeries at the same time but i want him to have the best quality of life. His injury isn't severe at this point but it causes discomfort after most running/swimming so we were hoping to get him healthy in time for camping season. Just don't know if we move forward with TPLo before we find out his grade on tumor or if we do it and stay positive it will be low grade and we will have made the right choice for him to heal and enjoy the summer!

[POPTOP]

So sorry to hear. No experience with mass cell tumor in dogs but did have a cat who had one removed. She is very well; never a reoccurrence. Have a good talk with your vet about it.

Sending good thoughts and prayers.

[coopersmom]

No advice but sending good thoughts

[Marmot]

The first one was on her belly and it was removed Grade 1 stage 0, that was when she was just over 2 yrs. old. The second one was behind her left ear, grade 2, stage 1, the third was on a rear toe, it looked like a grape, we didn't have it biopsied, the Vet said it is likely she will have others... and she did have another one, behind her other ear, that was a year ago, didn't get it biopsied, but we had it removed. Found a new lump on her right rib carriage, had it checked and thank God it's just a fatty lump. We started to give Rosie two benedryl twice a day, fish oil, vitamin E and a pepcid, with the benedryl in the AM at night she gets 2 benedryl, a pepcid and her cranberry caps. No mct's for a year, knock on wood we won't find another. BTW, each surgery ran between $550 to $700, biopsies run another $150. If, and I hope we don't, find more mcts, we will have them removed, the worse part is the largest tumor was actually pea sized and they have to get a wide margin of tissue, these tumors have roots like a tree and if they miss any it will grow back. We're just trying to keep Rosie happy and healthy.
The only advice I can give anyone is to check their fur kids out thoroughly every week, if you find a lump, have it , my vet looks at the aspiration immediately, so we know before we leave the office what we are dealing with. Mcts can grow pretty quickly, the earlier they are caught and removed, the better. Mcts are tied into histamines, so benedryl can help. I will warn you, a 1/4" lump may end up being a 5 or 6" incision by the time the get a clean margin, it's usually done as day surgery.

[Moby and Barley's Mom]

My 13 1\2 year old had one removed last year. Completely clean margins and he is out of the woods for that but did have a reaccurance of a spindle cell carcinoma. 4 seems so young. I am sorry and sending good thoughts.

[Annette47]

4 does seem young, especially to have repeated ones. Jolie had one removed when she was 12, as part of the same surgery she also had a mammary carcinoma (unrelated) removed and was spayed, and did fine with all of it. In terms of the prognosis of the mast cell, it depends on both the grade (lower being less aggressive) and the margins. Jolie's was Grade 2 and was on her flank, in an area where it was easy to get wide margins, so they were not particularly concerned about it, but I have known dogs with a low grade one in a place not amenable to wide margins where it was much more concerning. I don't know how the fact this is his second at a young age might affect long term prognosis either. Sending good thoughts.

[Adirondack Labs]

Sending prayers your way...

Unfortunately, I've dealt quite a bit with MCTs, but the outcome has always been good.

Maddie had one removed on her foreleg at 12 and, even though good, clear margins were very hard to get, it didn't return. We lost her at 14.5 from liver cancer -- as far as I know, it wasn't related to the MCT.

Our lab, Hailey, had one around the base of her tail at age 8. To get the margins we needed, we had to amputate her tail, but she hasn't skipped a beat. And we haven't had a recurrence, although she's got quite a few lipomas that we are checking regularly.

Research has shown that once a dog has one MCT, another is about 10% more likely; if they get more, those odds increase even more.

MCTs are tricky. They can look like anything and be anywhere -- on the skin, under the skin. One of the hallmarks, however, is that they grown and shrink rapidly. That's why I got Hailey into the vet ASAP, because the lump I felt the day before was smaller the next day. It all has to do with histamines; that's why Benedryl is often prescribed before surgery -- it's an anti-histamine that helps shrink the tumor.

Agreed that the best thing is regular checks and have them aspirated at the vet's office. For the most part, they are easily spotted by the vet right then and there. But then again, I did have a younger vet who "wasn't quite sure" after looking at the slide. I definitely had her follow up. It turned out to be an MCT.

Prayers that all turns out well and you can all enjoy the summer (should we ever actually get one ;-)

paula

[4Thelove]

Nothing to add other than sending good thoughts your way

[Watsonsmom]

Thank you all!!! Sorry to hear some of you have had to deal with MCT's before and multiples. But it is somewhat reassuring to hear your stories. We have talked with our vet and he feels that the likelihood of it being low grade is pretty good based on the size and his last one. So I think we are going to be doing both surgeries at the same time and be hopeful and positive for our pup. Get him ready for a summer of fun with running and swimming pain free and with a little luck no more MCT's! Thank you for the good thoughts!

[barry581]

Thinking positive thoughts for Watson.