Aa
fibrosarcoma
My cat was diagnosed with a fibrosarcoma tumor last spring (the kind of tumor that is believed to be from vaccine injections). We decided not to do surgery becuase it was very invasive and did not have a high sucess rate. The tumor's size is now bigger than a plum, but smaller than a baseball. It is on her back, below her shoulderblade. In the last 2 days, I've noticed that it has begun to open slightly - as if she has been itching it or it is beginning to "pop" through (I haven't seen her itch it, but I am at work during the day). It is not an open would yet - is there anything that you know I can do to prevent it from becoming one? Is there any type of ointment I could but on it? I'm kind of lost on this. I know the vet said that if the tumor opens and becomes infected, she will need to be put asleep, but I want to put that off as long as possible since she still really enjoys life. Thanks for your help.
Not sure what you decided to do...but hope that your kitty is doing better and that you consulted with an oncologist which is what I did with my 15 yr old cat...who had been diagnosed with fibrosarcoma. My kitty had the surgery at the Animal Medical Center in NYC, and fortunately they were able to get clear margins. I decided against follow-up treatment of any kind (chemo/radiation) and here we are 16 months post-op and she is still doing well, with no reoccurrence (paws crossed, prayers said every day)!!!
Biopsies are usually necessary to determine the nature and extent of the disease.
From the Mayo Clinic website:
Myth: A needle biopsy can disturb cancer cells, causing them to travel to other parts of the body
Truth: For most types of cancer, there's no conclusive evidence that needle biopsy — a procedure used to diagnose many types of cancer — causes cancer cells to spread.
She is still playful, happy, sweet as ever....
I wish you well!
Biopsies are usually necessary to determine the nature and extent of the disease.
From the Mayo Clinic website:
Myth: A needle biopsy can disturb cancer cells, causing them to travel to other parts of the body
Truth: For most types of cancer, there's no conclusive evidence that needle biopsy — a procedure used to diagnose many types of cancer — causes cancer cells to spread.
She is still playful, happy, sweet as ever....
I wish you well!
I recently found this thread and thought I'd throw my story into the mix.
I first noticed a lump on Piper's chest around October 2014. I thought, mistakenly, that it as a cyst and let it go. It got gradually bigger, then appeared smaller, then bigger. I got concerned last month that it had grown so much and took her in to see the vet, coincidentally on her 7th birthday. He did a FNA, thinking that it was a mast cell tumor. He couldn't get a definite diagnosis so sent it off to a pathologist. A few days later, I got the call that it was not a mast cell tumor but fibrosarcoma. The vet said in order to get a better picture of how far advanced the cancer was, he would need to do a biopsy and then he could remove the tumor was large margins. He did tell me that there was a chance of occurrence but didn't go into specifics.
After doing my own research about both biopsies and the tumor excision surgery, I decided against both. Beyond being far beyond my financial means (both the biopsy and excision would be close to $2000, just the excision was $1400), I didn't want to put Piper through such a grueling surgery only for the cancer to likely come back weeks or months later. Had it been a situation where one surgery would have cured her completely, I would have been much more open to pursuing that route.
So I decided to keep her comfortable as long as I could. This week, less than a month after diagnosis, the tumor ulcerated. I called the vet and they said it was either truly ulcerated OR the FNA had introduced bacteria and was now infected. I cleaned the tumor site for a few days after the FNA to avoid this and it was fine for weeks so I'm not sure if it's infection or ulceration. For now, she is getting antibiotic ointment. The tumor continues to get bigger and is almost completely hairless now. It still is not super huge, maybe the size of a large grape but even in the past 3 weeks, it has grown.
Piper doesn't seem to know that she has anything wrong with her. She is just as energetic and vocal as ever (she's a tortie with Siamese somewhere in there--she is LOUD). Her appetite has decreased only slightly and that could be due to switching her immediately to grain free food. She has started hanging out under the couch, which is unusual as she is usually a 'tree dweller'. But to anyone besides me, she would seem to be acting completely normal.
I know that I won't hang on to her for too long. I'm a full time pet care provider and have seen many of my clients hang on to their animals beyond the point of it being humane. I don't judge them at all--I realize how incredibly hard it is to say goodbye. Rather, I'm afraid that I will let her go too soon. Even now it's hard to reconcile the fact that she is terminally ill with the fact that she is still bright eyed and busy tailed for the most part. I'm afraid that I will say good bye too early when she might have had another good week or month in her. On one hand, I will save her from any suffering but on the other hand, I'm robbing her of that extra week/month. I'll be out of the country for two weeks in October and if she's still with us, I'll be terrified that something will happen while I'm gone and she'll die without me by her side. Although from reading everyone's stories and the way things have progressed in the past 3 weeks since diagnosis, I don't even know if she'll be here come end of summer.
I've emailed my vet to get more information about a home visit for when it's her time to go. If I can avoid it at all, I'd like her to not be at the vet's office. I want her to die at home, in familiar environment. I hope that it will also help my 3 other cats understand that she isn't coming back if they are able to be there, rather than just whisk her away in a carrier never to be seen again.
Because of the tumor site and the fact that Piper hasn't had any vaccinations since she was two years old, I don't believe it is vaccine related. She was a failed foster who I took in when she and her siblings were 12 weeks old so I emailed the woman who has her sisters and told her what was happening. I hope that Piper's sisters don't meet the same fate. I have 3 other cats and am keeping any eye out for any strange lumps or bumps. I'm not sure if the outcome would have been different had I taken Piper in when I first noticed the lump but I feel terrible that I dismissed it as a cyst.
I got a lot of great information out of this thread, thank you to everyone who shared their story. It's so unfortunate that we have to make the hardest decision for our pet, but please remember to cherish the time you have with them and keep their best interests at the forefront.
I first noticed a lump on Piper's chest around October 2014. I thought, mistakenly, that it as a cyst and let it go. It got gradually bigger, then appeared smaller, then bigger. I got concerned last month that it had grown so much and took her in to see the vet, coincidentally on her 7th birthday. He did a FNA, thinking that it was a mast cell tumor. He couldn't get a definite diagnosis so sent it off to a pathologist. A few days later, I got the call that it was not a mast cell tumor but fibrosarcoma. The vet said in order to get a better picture of how far advanced the cancer was, he would need to do a biopsy and then he could remove the tumor was large margins. He did tell me that there was a chance of occurrence but didn't go into specifics.
After doing my own research about both biopsies and the tumor excision surgery, I decided against both. Beyond being far beyond my financial means (both the biopsy and excision would be close to $2000, just the excision was $1400), I didn't want to put Piper through such a grueling surgery only for the cancer to likely come back weeks or months later. Had it been a situation where one surgery would have cured her completely, I would have been much more open to pursuing that route.
So I decided to keep her comfortable as long as I could. This week, less than a month after diagnosis, the tumor ulcerated. I called the vet and they said it was either truly ulcerated OR the FNA had introduced bacteria and was now infected. I cleaned the tumor site for a few days after the FNA to avoid this and it was fine for weeks so I'm not sure if it's infection or ulceration. For now, she is getting antibiotic ointment. The tumor continues to get bigger and is almost completely hairless now. It still is not super huge, maybe the size of a large grape but even in the past 3 weeks, it has grown.
Piper doesn't seem to know that she has anything wrong with her. She is just as energetic and vocal as ever (she's a tortie with Siamese somewhere in there--she is LOUD). Her appetite has decreased only slightly and that could be due to switching her immediately to grain free food. She has started hanging out under the couch, which is unusual as she is usually a 'tree dweller'. But to anyone besides me, she would seem to be acting completely normal.
I know that I won't hang on to her for too long. I'm a full time pet care provider and have seen many of my clients hang on to their animals beyond the point of it being humane. I don't judge them at all--I realize how incredibly hard it is to say goodbye. Rather, I'm afraid that I will let her go too soon. Even now it's hard to reconcile the fact that she is terminally ill with the fact that she is still bright eyed and busy tailed for the most part. I'm afraid that I will say good bye too early when she might have had another good week or month in her. On one hand, I will save her from any suffering but on the other hand, I'm robbing her of that extra week/month. I'll be out of the country for two weeks in October and if she's still with us, I'll be terrified that something will happen while I'm gone and she'll die without me by her side. Although from reading everyone's stories and the way things have progressed in the past 3 weeks since diagnosis, I don't even know if she'll be here come end of summer.
I've emailed my vet to get more information about a home visit for when it's her time to go. If I can avoid it at all, I'd like her to not be at the vet's office. I want her to die at home, in familiar environment. I hope that it will also help my 3 other cats understand that she isn't coming back if they are able to be there, rather than just whisk her away in a carrier never to be seen again.
Because of the tumor site and the fact that Piper hasn't had any vaccinations since she was two years old, I don't believe it is vaccine related. She was a failed foster who I took in when she and her siblings were 12 weeks old so I emailed the woman who has her sisters and told her what was happening. I hope that Piper's sisters don't meet the same fate. I have 3 other cats and am keeping any eye out for any strange lumps or bumps. I'm not sure if the outcome would have been different had I taken Piper in when I first noticed the lump but I feel terrible that I dismissed it as a cyst.
I got a lot of great information out of this thread, thank you to everyone who shared their story. It's so unfortunate that we have to make the hardest decision for our pet, but please remember to cherish the time you have with them and keep their best interests at the forefront.
Thank you so much for your prayers and feedback, I wish I had seen your reply sooner! I had no idea biopsies caused spreading, but I really trust my vet so I let him go through with it on my baby. The pathologist report came back as a fibrosarcoma as he had feared. The report said the kind of fibrosarcoma is associated with vaccines, although the vet said that is not necessarily what caused it. Kitty hasn't been vaccinated in years but apparently the tumors can show up years later. His thoughts about treatment seemed to be aligned with yours, he says treatment can be hard on the cat and said if I did surgery it would have to be done wide and deep. I'm not sure if I would be able to live with myself if Kitty didn't make it through surgery. Anyway, Vet advised I see a cancer specialist.The Veterinary Cancer Group in Los Angeles seems like the best option. It got some rave reviews on yelp but also some scary ones! I am also not prepared financially to spend the thousands of dollars that seems to be necessary for treatment, but I would sell my car to save my cat if it was possible! I have an appointment on Friday so hopefully I will get a lot more answers and some type of hope. My vet did say it's possible it could be slow growing tumor, in which case it may not necessarily be what she loses her life to. Thank you so much and if you happen to know any renowned places besides The Veterinary Cancer Group in the Los Angeles/Southern California area, or any other tips I'd really appreciate it!
hi fibrosarcomas can be NON vaccine related....they are tumors which can develop anywhere, not necessarily cancerous.
You have to go with what your gut tells you, but good for you for looking for answers...everywhere!!!
We are not Vets here only pet parents. I will give you my opinion only...IF it is cancer by doing a biopsy this will cause it to 'seed' out/spread. And if you find out it is cancer are you prepared to put her through surgery to remove this tumor?
Since your kitty is 17 years old, thats a very advanced age to go though the trauma of surgery and possible chemo. it would be like an 80+ year old human having this treatment.
Some cats do very well with all that, but if it is malignant and she does have the surgery to remove it, that likely still only gives her a prognosis of another year to 18 months.
She can be kept comfortable and still do relatively well for abt the same length of time even without drastic measures...but again that is just my own opinion.
good luck and please keep us informed....sending some prayers for her.♥
You have to go with what your gut tells you, but good for you for looking for answers...everywhere!!!
We are not Vets here only pet parents. I will give you my opinion only...IF it is cancer by doing a biopsy this will cause it to 'seed' out/spread. And if you find out it is cancer are you prepared to put her through surgery to remove this tumor?
Since your kitty is 17 years old, thats a very advanced age to go though the trauma of surgery and possible chemo. it would be like an 80+ year old human having this treatment.
Some cats do very well with all that, but if it is malignant and she does have the surgery to remove it, that likely still only gives her a prognosis of another year to 18 months.
She can be kept comfortable and still do relatively well for abt the same length of time even without drastic measures...but again that is just my own opinion.
good luck and please keep us informed....sending some prayers for her.♥
Hi,
I'm so confused, my nearly 17 year old cat has a lump. The Vet was not able to determine if it was cancer looking at a sample he took so he sent it to a pathologist who could not tell if it was reactive cells (could be from another cat or getting punctured by some type of animal) or fibrosarcoma which looks similar. The Vet says he thinks it's fibrosarcoma since she doesn't go outside. He says I will need to get a biopsy to find out for sure. Did anyone get this diagnosis not due to a vaccine? Also did anyone do treatment on a cat around 17 years old or older?
I'm so confused, my nearly 17 year old cat has a lump. The Vet was not able to determine if it was cancer looking at a sample he took so he sent it to a pathologist who could not tell if it was reactive cells (could be from another cat or getting punctured by some type of animal) or fibrosarcoma which looks similar. The Vet says he thinks it's fibrosarcoma since she doesn't go outside. He says I will need to get a biopsy to find out for sure. Did anyone get this diagnosis not due to a vaccine? Also did anyone do treatment on a cat around 17 years old or older?
2 Comments
My cats (13 years old) fibrosarcoma was caused from the leukemia vaccine. We found it when it was the size of a pea and had it removed. It has since come back and have decided to just let it be and let him enjoy the rest of his life. It's now the size of a walnut and not bugging him yet. On the other hand, my sisters cat (6 years old, and my cats son) had the same thing but she found it much later. She had it removed and it came back with a vengeance, we tried treating him with radiation but unfortunately it was too late and be had to euthanize him :(
I should add that my cats tumor didn't reappear after its removal until about a year later. And when it was first removed, the surgeon said he had 3mm of clear margins around it, but it still came back :(
sorry I'm so late commenting on your post, its been a busy week. I am so sorry to read about dear little Milo and just before Christmas, that must have been a sad Christmas for you without him
its so hard to say goodbyes, never be ashamed of the tears...these babies have been our little loving companions by our sides for along time and its only natural to grieve their passing
I'm happy you still have Simon to love and keep you company, yes he is missing Milo too:( you both can grieve together still. you are right, you are fortunate to have one another at this time.
Milo had a long wonderful happy life with a loving mommy, yes he was your baby!!! he'll always be with you in spirit and in your heart forever.
RIP little Milo♥ and (((hugs))) to your sad mommy
its so hard to say goodbyes, never be ashamed of the tears...these babies have been our little loving companions by our sides for along time and its only natural to grieve their passing
I'm happy you still have Simon to love and keep you company, yes he is missing Milo too:( you both can grieve together still. you are right, you are fortunate to have one another at this time.
Milo had a long wonderful happy life with a loving mommy, yes he was your baby!!! he'll always be with you in spirit and in your heart forever.
RIP little Milo♥ and (((hugs))) to your sad mommy
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