Jamie & Jupiter
Member Since 2013
Link to previous condo: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=100782
Hey everyone I wanted to give you all a detailed update about the vet appointment yesterday.
So before taking him to the vet I compiled this list of questions from the suggestions I was given on questions to ask the vet. So here are some of the questions I asked, and the answers. (They are out of order now though)
Q: How long will this wound take to heal? How long will it need to stay covered? When will stitches be removed?
A: She is not sure how exactly long it will take to heal. She said it will also depend on Jupiter, like if he keeps pulling his bandages off and licking it. She said him licking the area will make it take longer to heal. She said she would like to remove the stitches next week between Tuesday and Thursday.
A: She said the bandage is no longer for healing purposes but to keep him from making it worse, by licking it or pulling out stitches or from litter getting into it.
Q: Are the margins of the tumor clean? When the lump was removed was enough surrounding tissue taken out that there was none of the sarcoma left in him. What size cm was the mass that was removed?
A: Okay she said that the biopsy report indicates that the margins are clean, but very small margins. She said that the person who did the biopsy report recommended a wider excision. She said because of where the tumor was, she cant do a wider excision. She said she would have to amputate his leg in order to do so, which she doesn’t think is a good option with him being such a big cat. (Please also read the biopsy report below for more details)
Q: The oncologist that Jupiter is being referred to, if you had a pet with the same condition, would you go to this oncologist you are recommending? Or is there another in the area you would choose?
Q: Is there a board certified veterinary oncologist in the area
A: The vet said that yes, this is where she would take her own pet. And yes, there is a board certified oncologist there. This is the link to the site of the place she is referring him to: http://pvs-ec.com/
Q: Is this the skin form of hemangiosarcoma? Does it have the potential to ever be completely cured?
A: This is the skin form of it. She said its possible that even if it hasn’t spread, that years from now it could come back. She said to check with the oncologist about this.
Q: Is hemangiosarcoma hereditary? Should I get Jupiters sister tested? Could this be detected in bloodwork?
Q: What are the treatment options?
Q: Will chemotherapy be recommended or are there any other treatment options?
Q: What is the survival rate if the cancer has not spread yet? What is the survival rate if the cancer has spread (metastized) already?
Q: What other health effects should we expect to see? Is the hemangiosarcoma going to cause him any symptoms right now? In the future?
Q: Is there anything we should be watching out for?
A: She is not sure about this. She is not familiar with hemangiosarcoma. She does not think it can be detected in the bloodwork. She said that these are all questions that should be answered by the oncologist.
Q: Could you email or make a copy of the test results for me? (including bloodwork, biopsy,xray,etc) I would like to have these all in my possession and I am also going to get his previous medical records from old vet. I will also be taking all of these records and results to the oncologist.
A: She is going to fax the oncologist all of his records that she has and I got a copy of the xray on a cd. She also printed out a copy of the biopsy results and gave that to me.
Q: What are the next steps?
A: She said the next step is to take Jupiter to the oncologist to be tested to see if the cancer has spread. She said they can do tests that she cant. She said they will do an ultrasound to make sure it has not spread to the heart and other areas.
Q: I asked her if it was possible that the cancer has not spread at all
A: She said very possible. (Please read the comments section from the Biopsy results below)
Biopsy Results:
“CLINICAL HISTORY: 1.2cm raised round mildly ulcerated soft growth on plantar surface of right tarsus; present for about 3 months, recent enlargement and discomfort; cytology = blood”
“DIAGNOSIS: Epithelioid hemangiosarcoma with chronic ulcerative hemorrhagic inflammation. “
“PROGNOSIS: Fair to guarded”
“COMMENTS: This lesion is completely excised with 1-2mm margins. Cutaneous hemangiosarcomas in cats are generally reported to have a low incidence of recurrence and metastasis after complete resection. However, the tumor in this patient is cytologically of high-grade malignancy, which may suggest a less favorable prognosis. Clinical staging and wider excision are recommended.”
Hey everyone I wanted to give you all a detailed update about the vet appointment yesterday.
So before taking him to the vet I compiled this list of questions from the suggestions I was given on questions to ask the vet. So here are some of the questions I asked, and the answers. (They are out of order now though)
Q: How long will this wound take to heal? How long will it need to stay covered? When will stitches be removed?
A: She is not sure how exactly long it will take to heal. She said it will also depend on Jupiter, like if he keeps pulling his bandages off and licking it. She said him licking the area will make it take longer to heal. She said she would like to remove the stitches next week between Tuesday and Thursday.
A: She said the bandage is no longer for healing purposes but to keep him from making it worse, by licking it or pulling out stitches or from litter getting into it.
Q: Are the margins of the tumor clean? When the lump was removed was enough surrounding tissue taken out that there was none of the sarcoma left in him. What size cm was the mass that was removed?
A: Okay she said that the biopsy report indicates that the margins are clean, but very small margins. She said that the person who did the biopsy report recommended a wider excision. She said because of where the tumor was, she cant do a wider excision. She said she would have to amputate his leg in order to do so, which she doesn’t think is a good option with him being such a big cat. (Please also read the biopsy report below for more details)
Q: The oncologist that Jupiter is being referred to, if you had a pet with the same condition, would you go to this oncologist you are recommending? Or is there another in the area you would choose?
Q: Is there a board certified veterinary oncologist in the area
A: The vet said that yes, this is where she would take her own pet. And yes, there is a board certified oncologist there. This is the link to the site of the place she is referring him to: http://pvs-ec.com/
Q: Is this the skin form of hemangiosarcoma? Does it have the potential to ever be completely cured?
A: This is the skin form of it. She said its possible that even if it hasn’t spread, that years from now it could come back. She said to check with the oncologist about this.
Q: Is hemangiosarcoma hereditary? Should I get Jupiters sister tested? Could this be detected in bloodwork?
Q: What are the treatment options?
Q: Will chemotherapy be recommended or are there any other treatment options?
Q: What is the survival rate if the cancer has not spread yet? What is the survival rate if the cancer has spread (metastized) already?
Q: What other health effects should we expect to see? Is the hemangiosarcoma going to cause him any symptoms right now? In the future?
Q: Is there anything we should be watching out for?
A: She is not sure about this. She is not familiar with hemangiosarcoma. She does not think it can be detected in the bloodwork. She said that these are all questions that should be answered by the oncologist.
Q: Could you email or make a copy of the test results for me? (including bloodwork, biopsy,xray,etc) I would like to have these all in my possession and I am also going to get his previous medical records from old vet. I will also be taking all of these records and results to the oncologist.
A: She is going to fax the oncologist all of his records that she has and I got a copy of the xray on a cd. She also printed out a copy of the biopsy results and gave that to me.
Q: What are the next steps?
A: She said the next step is to take Jupiter to the oncologist to be tested to see if the cancer has spread. She said they can do tests that she cant. She said they will do an ultrasound to make sure it has not spread to the heart and other areas.
Q: I asked her if it was possible that the cancer has not spread at all
A: She said very possible. (Please read the comments section from the Biopsy results below)
Biopsy Results:
“CLINICAL HISTORY: 1.2cm raised round mildly ulcerated soft growth on plantar surface of right tarsus; present for about 3 months, recent enlargement and discomfort; cytology = blood”
“DIAGNOSIS: Epithelioid hemangiosarcoma with chronic ulcerative hemorrhagic inflammation. “
“PROGNOSIS: Fair to guarded”
“COMMENTS: This lesion is completely excised with 1-2mm margins. Cutaneous hemangiosarcomas in cats are generally reported to have a low incidence of recurrence and metastasis after complete resection. However, the tumor in this patient is cytologically of high-grade malignancy, which may suggest a less favorable prognosis. Clinical staging and wider excision are recommended.”
