Spleen/liver Cancer

[Cheyenne_Fury]

My 7 year old Greyhound, Zahra has been diagnosed with spleen cancer as a lump about the size of a grapefruit has been found. After an initial ultrasound it was discovered that she has a large mass on her spleen.

I have her booked in on Thursday to have blood work and a full body ultrasound done to determine if it is just one tumor and it can be removed, or whether the cancer is agressive and has already spread to her liver and other organs.

The vet has told me that surgery is really the only option depending on what results we get back on Thursday. Zahra has had major surgery when she was younger to repair a punctured lung resulting from an accident and although the road to recovery was long and tedious she made a full recovery and has been healthy and happy for the past 6 years until now.

Has anyone else been through this with their dog? Have you opted for surgery or decided against it?

My final decision will be based on what results we get on Thursday and if if is found that surgery may be a viable option I plan to discuss this with our local vet and also Sandown Vet clinic as they are experts where Greys are concerned.

My parter who is always the practical one has asked me to be realistic and if her results are that she has the more aggressive form then I should really make the tough decision and have her pts, but if she isn't in pain and her quality of life is still good for a little whole longer then why not enjoy what time is left?

Any information anyone can share would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[Tara8430]

My old girl had spleen cancer when she was 14 unfortunately it busted and spread before we knew she even had it so your very lucky in that respect. I don't know what else to say but I'm very sorry ...

[schnauzer]

One of my dogs had a large benign tumour on his spleen (but growing) - he was 12 and very healthy otherwise. We ultrasounded other organs but no cancer was found. A specialist surgeon operated on him and the hardest part of his recovery was trying to keep him quiet. He literally bounced out of the surgery.

I would go with the advice of your vet. If she does have cancer elsewhere, I would give her quality of life, until she tells you that she is in pain or not enjoying her life any longer - you will know.

Very best of luck with Zahra. x

Edited February 26, 2013 by schnauzer

[Xyz]

My 10 year old had a heamangiosarcoma (nasty splenic tumour) removed, it had ruptured so it was surgery or euthanasia... Successful surgery, then ultrasound of abdomen and chest, and chest X-rays all clear we started chemo - palliative only as expected life span 4-6 months regardless of treatment. Just finished chemo, 7.5 months on and have a 10 year old that acts like a 2 yo!!! She only had a few 'sick' days on chemo, couple of vomits and few days off food. Now awaiting plan from oncologist as to what to do from here!

Expensive exercise but worth every cent to keep her as happy and healthy till the end.

[Cheyenne_Fury]

Thanks so much for the replies so far. In the last few years I've lost both my boys and so she has been my constant companion since then and the thought of loosing her is almost too much to bear. Just stressing on the results of her bloods and ultrasound and should hopefully give me some much needed good news

[dancinbcs]

I have known of quite a few dogs with tumours on the spleen. If it hasn't spread and they can get it out quickly without the tumour rupturing, the dog is usually fine afterwards. It is urgent surgery though. I know of one dog who passed away a few hours before her surgery was scheduled. If the cancer has already spread or the tumour ruptures then the prognosis is very bleak.

[HazyWal]

Sorry I have no advice but just wanted to wish you the best of luck for Thursday

Sending lots of positive vibes your way from me and the hounds for many more happy years with Zahra.

[labadore]

I am very sorry that your beloved girl has a mass on her spleen

I hope and pray for a better outcome for your girl than I had with my beloved Lab boy who I lost to Hemangiosarcoma when he was 10 years old, 5 months after being diagnosed with this awful cancer, despite having the Splenectomy surgery (removal of Spleen) and Chemo.

I am a little puzzled that she has been diagnosed with spleen cancer, when the full body ultrasound hasn't been done to determine if the mass has spread to other organs or surgery hasn't been performed to remove the mass and send away for testing. The reason I say this, is that a mass on the Spleen isn't necessarily a malignant cancer i.e. Hemangiosarcoma, if it hasn't spread as it could be a Hemangioma which is a benign tumour and the only way for a definitive diagnosis of the mass is if it is removed and sent away for testing. Whilst a full body ultrasound can check if the mass has spread to other organs, I believe that the testing of the mass is the only definitive way to diagnose whether it is Hemangiosarcoma or Hemangioma. Whilst blood tests can reveal if all is not right, which it did in my boy's case as his results showed he was anaemic and my vet referred him to the Specialist for an ultrasound based on his blood test results and physical examination during which he could feel a sizeable lump, bloodtests unfortunately cannot pick up/screen for this cancer.

If your girl is in good health (apart from the mass on the spleen)and there is no evidence that the mass has ruptured or spread to other organs, then I would recommend the surgery, as my boy who was close to 10 years of age and up until about a week before the mass on the spleen was found, was in great shape and he recovered very quickly and very well from the Splenectomy surgery. This surgery is not without risk though as it is a major surgery and the mass could rupture and bleedout during surgery, but your Vet will explain all this to you. Without the surgery the mass could rupture at any time and bleedout and is a horrible way for a dog to die and also without the surgery you won't be able to get a definite diagnosis on whether the mass is Hemangiosarcoma (malignant cancer) or Hemangioma (benign)unless the full body ultrasound clearly shows the spread to other organs.

Also because of what another poster said in this thread I just want to mention that just because there is no evidence of the mass spreading/metastasising, does not mean that a dog does not have Hemangiosarcoma. The testing done on the mass is the only definitive way to find out if it is Hemangiosarcoma or Hemangioma. As mentioned in my boy's case he was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma, despite the fact that there was no evidence that the tumour had spread to other organs at the time of his surgery or during the ultrasound. Unfortunately, Hemangiosarcoma is a very aggressive Cancer and by the time the mass is evident, the damage has already been done and there are just no tests that can be done to screen for this awful cancer. My boy actually had bloodtests (not for a health reason) two months before his diagnosis and his blood test results didn't indicate there were any problems in any areas, in fact he got a clean bill of health with both full blood tests and urinalysis and full veterinary examination

Please do not lose all hope and think the worst (i.e. Hemangiosarcoma)until the test results come back or full body ultrasound proves otherwise, as your girl may be extremely lucky to only have a Hemangiomma. You are both in my thoughts and I know how worried you must be and I am sending lots of positive vibes your girl's way and lots of your way.

[HazyWal]

Been thinking of you and Zahra today and hoping for good news

[FHRP]

I had a splenectomy done on a 13 year old dog in 2011. The vet was confident he would be fine for the operation and he did come through it OK, but his recovery was not as quick and smooth as would be expected on a younger dog. However I would not hesitate having a splenectomy done on a dog, regardless of age, if there was a suspicious mass and they were in otherwise good health. If it is indeed a haemangiosarcoma (and I have the same questions as labadore on how cancer has already been diagnosed?) then you are a little bit lucky in that it has been discovered before rupture, which is often the first indication owners get of this terrible agressive cancer. By removing the spleen you remove the chance of it bleeding, however unfortauntely tumours will more than likley appear elsewhere. Chemotherapy has had some success in extending the life of dogs with haemangiosarcoma, but generally not as effective as with lymphoma.

Hopefully you get some good news today! Really hoping the mass is a Haemangioma (my boys small lesion was a haematoma, but we had other reasons to worry it was something else).

Edited February 28, 2013 by FHRP

[temperamentfirst]

If the mass is still contained, then I would go for surgery. If it has spread, then I would have to talk to the vets and think hard re quality of life. Good luck!

[violetmay]

Just wanted to add to this thread..

My dog is having his spleen (and attached 8cm tumour) removed on Friday. He had an ultrasound yesterday and the tumour hasn't spread to any other organs. My dog is only 6.9kg, so the tumour must be really big inside him.

Ultrasound found that he most likely has cushings disease (enlarged adrenal glands) and also he is battling colitis at the moment too.

Really hoping the operation will be successful, read a few too many bad stories about spleen rupturing during operation.

[Cheyenne_Fury]

So sorry to hear about your boy Violetmay I hope that he makes a full and speedy recovery.

Amazingly enough my girl is fine and completely healthy. I had full blood work done and she had a full body ultrasound and everything came back clear with no signs of any growths or tumours. The vet apparently misdiagnosed based on the inital ultrasound and they are putting it down to her spleen being twisted or folded.

She will go for a check up in another couple of weeks for a follow up ultrasound just to be sure but she's been fine since and acting like her usual old self :)