KItty with carcinoma-any cat lover's with experience?

[Cind11]

I am hoping someone has some experience to share with me.

I noticed two days ago that my twelve year old cat Quincy's fur looked "ruffled" below his jawbone on his neck. Picked him up and felt in that area and I could feel a rather large mass under the skin. It was hard and pretty much not moveable. I had him to my Vet two weeks ago for his yearly checkup so I know this was not there then. I took him back to my Vet yesterday and he referred me to a Vet who is board certified in internal medicine, and Quincy and I saw her today.

She did a fine needle aspiration of the mass and after looking at it under the microscope she said it looks like a carcinoma. (a cancerous epithelial tumor) She sent it to a lab to confirm this. She recommended doing X-rays to see if it had spread to his lungs. After looking at the X-rays (She showed them to me on her laptop) she saw "several densities" that she thought were consistent with tumor spread. She sent the radiographs to a radiologist to look at. She called me back this afternoon and said the radiologist also thinks that it is cancer in his lungs. I think she said the only definitive way to know that though is with a biopsy of the lungs.

So, they would not remove the lump because the cancer has already spread.(She had talked about removing it if the cancer was not in his lungs) My alternatives are to do nothing or to try Chemotherapy. They would use either Carboplatin (a human drug) and it would be an injection once a month or Palladia (only used for cats and dogs) which is a tablet I would have to give him orally three times a week. He would have to have his white count checked with either drug because the drugs can cause it to go down. She said these drugs are "fairly well tolerated" in cats. It will not cure him but might extend his life and hopefully shrink the bad stuff in there. There are pros and cons to both kinds of Chemo which makes the whole thing kind of confusing. I just want to do what is best for him. Right now he is doing well. Still eating and he seems happy. She said with as fast as that tumor popped up on his neck she wonders if the stuff in his lungs will cause him to have breathing problems. I just want to do what is best for my poor little guy.

Has anyone had Chemo for their cat?

 

[Aoife]

I'm so very sorry to hear this, Cind11. I have no experience with feline carcinomas or chemo, but just wanted you to know that you and your kitty-baby are in my thoughts.

 

[NOYFB]

I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty. I have not personally had experience with cancer in kitties, but I can imagine how upsetting and confusing this all must be. I have a 15 year old kitty who has other health issues, so I do understand the time/money committment it takes to keep our babies healthy. If you are able to give Quincy the pills (some cats are hard to pill) I personally would opt for the feline chemo, as I'm not sure I would be trusting of a drug meant for humans.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I will keep you and Quincy in my thoughts

 

[lulu]

I posted last year about our 16 year old Margaret's sarcoma . The vet removed the tumor and her spleen and felt the cancer had not spread. She's been scanned once and will have a second scan before Christmas. So far so good. That being said, this cancer is prone to recur and if it does we've already decided against chemo. What we've learned is that cats hide their pain. Margaret's tumor was huge and she must have been miserable, but she never let on.

Also, a few months ago we put 15 year old Ivan down when the vet opened him up for what she thought was a urinary blockage and found cancer everywhere. Again, he must have been in pain and we didn't know it. The chemo has to cause discomfort even if they don't show it. A couple extra months may be important to you, but not to your cat. I really feel it's our job to keep them from pain. Just my opinion.

 

[Gypsy]

I'm so sorry honey. I don't have advice but a lot of dust and good thoughts are coming your way.

 

[Cind11]

I'm so very sorry to hear this, Cind11. I have no experience with feline carcinomas or chemo, but just wanted you to know that you and your kitty-baby are in my thoughts.

Thank you Aoife!

 

[Cind11]

I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty. I have not personally had experience with cancer in kitties, but I can imagine how upsetting and confusing this all must be. I have a 15 year old kitty who has other health issues, so I do understand the time/money committment it takes to keep our babies healthy. If you are able to give Quincy the pills (some cats are hard to pill) I personally would opt for the feline chemo, as I'm not sure I would be trusting of a drug meant for humans.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I will keep you and Quincy in my thoughts

Thanks Lil Misfit. I can relate to cat health problems. I have a 14 yr. old cat who has a heart problem, had bladder stones and this year developed Hyperthyroidism! Hope your kitty is ok.

I think they use this human drug in animals frequently. I am not sure which one it either, would be best.

 

[Cind11]

I posted last year about our 16 year old Margaret's sarcoma . The vet removed the tumor and her spleen and felt the cancer had not spread. She's been scanned once and will have a second scan before Christmas. So far so good. That being said, this cancer is prone to recur and if it does we've already decided against chemo. What we've learned is that cats hide their pain. Margaret's tumor was huge and she must have been miserable, but she never let on.

Also, a few months ago we put 15 year old Ivan down when the vet opened him up for what she thought was a urinary blockage and found cancer everywhere. Again, he must have been in pain and we didn't know it. The chemo has to cause discomfort even if they don't show it. A couple extra months may be important to you, but not to your cat. I really feel it's our job to keep them from pain. Just my opinion.

Glad to hear Margaret is doing well. Poor Ivan, that had to have been heartbreaking! Right now Quincy is doing well. He is eating, purring and acting normally. It is not the few extra months that are important to me so much as feeling like if the tumor and the stuff in his lungs can be made smaller then maybe he will be comfortable for longer. If the Vet thought the Chemo was going to cause discomfort to him I feel she would tell me. She said the biggest side effect of the one drug would be loss of appetite. I certainly don't want him to be in pain.

 

[Cind11]

I'm so sorry honey. I don't have advice but a lot of dust and good thoughts are coming your way.

Thank you Gypsy! I know what a cat lover you are.

 

[bee*]

I'm posting from my phone so can't post a huge amount but I just carried out a vet externship in oncology. Where I did it they were very big into using palladia and found it great for certain types of cancer such as lymphosarcomas. They did use carboplatin once or twice but that was it. I wouldnt worry about the fact that its a human drug- the majority of chemo drugs used in vet are ones used for humans too. The fact that it has spread possibly to the lungs isn't a great sign unfortunately and I'm not sure what I would do if it was my own cat. I'm really sorry to hear about your baby.

 

[Dandi]

Hi Cind11,

I'm so sorry about your puddy tat. I went through something similar with my dog. Nearly two years ago my beautiful minie foxie Bubbles was undergoing chemo for lymphosarcoma, and I'll be brutally, totally honest with you and say I wouldn't do it again. After each injection for about 12 hours she was disinterested in food (very out of character for her) and sometimes vomited, but on the whole she was OK. It bought her three months, when without the chemo she probably had only a few weeks. While they were a reasonably good 3 months for her, my and my husband's emotions ran really high the whole time, and by the end I was really struggling with the weekly vet visits, blood tests, costs, and the tears (yes I cried at every appointment ! I'm a softie when it comes to my furbabies).

I'm only offering you my experience to help you make an informed decision, I'm in no way trying to discourage you from going either way. Bubbles had a lymphatic cancer, so Quincy's (LOVE the name by the way!) lump of course, may respond differently to chemo. Please keep us updated on your precious Quincy, and best of luck, it's so hard when our furchildren are sick.

Big hugs to you my dear.

 

[Pandora II]

I've lost several cats to cancer.

The first had a mass under his jaw which turned out to be a very rare type of cancer. He had the mass removed 3 times but each time it grew back quicker. In all he got an extra 18 months of quality life. When it came back the fourth time my parents decided not to put him through the stress of another operation. He was also 14 which is a good age for a siamese.

We lost another to breast cancer a couple of years ago. There my parents decided not to operate and as long as she was eating and had some quality of life they just gave her painkillers. She was ill for about 2 years but never in any pain. At the end she went downhill very fast and then just slipped into a coma and died that evening. The vet was in agreement to leave her at home as she was less stressed. She was 15.

At 12, I'm not sure if I would put a cat through the stress of chemo, especially if it looks like the tumour has spread. If it was one small localised tumour that could be removed and then chemo to follow up then I would do it.

I'm so sorry - what a hard decision and sad time.

 

[missy]

I am so sorry about your darling kitty.
A couple of my cats had cancer and we successfully extended their quality of life with chemo. One was younger (about eight) and one was a bit older (12 yo). The eight y.o. was given a quality 9 months extra of life and when his quality decreased we put him to sleep. The 12 y.o. was able to have 3 more years of good life (!) and it was so worth it with both kitties. I highly recommend exploring the chemo route if your vet thinks there is any chance it could help. The cancer had spread in both of my kitties as well before diagnosis and they both achieved a successful treatment with chemo. 9 months extra is a lot in a cat's life and the 3 extra years was unbelievable and both cats had real quality till the end.

Sending your good luck dust for your dear kitty and lots of hugs. I know how difficult this is.

 

[Cind11]

I'm posting from my phone so can't post a huge amount but I just carried out a vet externship in oncology. Where I did it they were very big into using palladia and found it great for certain types of cancer such as lymphosarcomas. They did use carboplatin once or twice but that was it. I wouldnt worry about the fact that its a human drug- the majority of chemo drugs used in vet are ones used for humans too. The fact that it has spread possibly to the lungs isn't a great sign unfortunately and I'm not sure what I would do if it was my own cat. I'm really sorry to hear about your baby.

Thanks bee. I know the lung involvement is not a good thing. I will admit to just being completely confused as to what to do. Many years ago I had a cat who was only 5 1/2 who had an adenocarcinoma that had grown on his small intestine. Had it removed and he did not do well at all. I have a cat right now who four years ago had bladder stones removed and he has a heart problem. This year he was diagnosed wit Hyperthyroidism-allergic to Tapazol. Ended up having the radioactive iodine treatment. He is fourteen and with the heart problem I never thought he would make it this long but he is doing well. (knock on wood) I am willing to spend the money for the Chemo if it will help Quincy but I just don't know.

 

[Cind11]

Hi Cind11,

I'm so sorry about your puddy tat. I went through something similar with my dog. Nearly two years ago my beautiful minie foxie Bubbles was undergoing chemo for lymphosarcoma, and I'll be brutally, totally honest with you and say I wouldn't do it again. After each injection for about 12 hours she was disinterested in food (very out of character for her) and sometimes vomited, but on the whole she was OK. It bought her three months, when without the chemo she probably had only a few weeks. While they were a reasonably good 3 months for her, my and my husband's emotions ran really high the whole time, and by the end I was really struggling with the weekly vet visits, blood tests, costs, and the tears (yes I cried at every appointment ! I'm a softie when it comes to my furbabies).

I'm only offering you my experience to help you make an informed decision, I'm in no way trying to discourage you from going either way. Bubbles had a lymphatic cancer, so Quincy's (LOVE the name by the way!) lump of course, may respond differently to chemo. Please keep us updated on your precious Quincy, and best of luck, it's so hard when our furchildren are sick.

Big hugs to you my dear.

Thank you DandiAndi. I am so sorry about what you went through with Bubbles-I can imagine how tough that had to be. I think I would react the same way. If I could only know the future and be able to thell how this thing would respond! My husband calls Quincy "the Q-cat". I do like his name.

 

[Cind11]

I've lost several cats to cancer.

The first had a mass under his jaw which turned out to be a very rare type of cancer. He had the mass removed 3 times but each time it grew back quicker. In all he got an extra 18 months of quality life. When it came back the fourth time my parents decided not to put him through the stress of another operation. He was also 14 which is a good age for a siamese.

We lost another to breast cancer a couple of years ago. There my parents decided not to operate and as long as she was eating and had some quality of life they just gave her painkillers. She was ill for about 2 years but never in any pain. At the end she went downhill very fast and then just slipped into a coma and died that evening. The vet was in agreement to leave her at home as she was less stressed. She was 15.

At 12, I'm not sure if I would put a cat through the stress of chemo, especially if it looks like the tumour has spread. If it was one small localised tumour that could be removed and then chemo to follow up then I would do it.

I'm so sorry - what a hard decision and sad time.

Thank you Pandora. My fear is that this tumor on his neck is just going to get bigger very quickly. You and your parents were very lucky to get another year and a half with your fourteen year old cat and two with the fifteen year old. He is 12 but in good shape otherwise. But, he is pretty timid with everyone but me and I hate the thought of stressing him out with Vet visits. That is something that I am going to have to really think about.

 

[Cind11]

I am so sorry about your darling kitty.
A couple of my cats had cancer and we successfully extended their quality of life with chemo. One was younger (about eight) and one was a bit older (12 yo). The eight y.o. was given a quality 9 months extra of life and when his quality decreased we put him to sleep. The 12 y.o. was able to have 3 more years of good life (!) and it was so worth it with both kitties. I highly recommend exploring the chemo route if your vet thinks there is any chance it could help. The cancer had spread in both of my kitties as well before diagnosis and they both achieved a successful treatment with chemo. 9 months extra is a lot in a cat's life and the 3 extra years was unbelievable and both cats had real quality till the end.

Sending your good luck dust for your dear kitty and lots of hugs. I know how difficult this is.

Thank you Missy. Wow! You were so fortunate in your experience with both cats. It really is amazing that you were able to get three more years with the one kitty! And with the fact that the cancer had spread! My one fear that I had mentioned to someone else is Quincy is pretty timid around other people and I hate the thought of having to drag him to the Vet for blood work etc. It really is a difficult decision!

 

[QueenB29]

Cind11, I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty. I have no advice, but wanted to send you hugs and DUST.

And I just posted how bad I felt leaving my dog at the vet for an IV This helps put it in perspective.

 

[bee*]

It is a difficult choice. For me I would definitely treat Manolo if it hadn't spread to the lungs. The fact that it spread to the lungs really would make me think twice about what to do. They were very slow to give chemo to animals where it had spread to the lungs where I did my externship. I would definitely do steroids but I'm just not sure if I would give stronger chemo drugs. I think it also depends on your cats nature. I know that Manolo absolutely hates travelling to the vets, he detests it, so I would be reluctant to bring him in for blood tests and check ups so often.

 

[Haven]

I'm so sorry honey. I don't have advice but a lot of dust and good thoughts are coming your way.

Same here. I'm so sorry, and I hope you can find a treatment approach that you're comfortable with.

I would ask the vet what she would do with her own kitty, do some research on my own, and then go from there.

<<hugs>>

ETA: I would see if any vets in your area make house calls. We have local vets that make house calls for elderly pets, so perhaps that would be a good option for you and Quincy.

 

[jainsley]

Cind11, my heart goes out to you and Quincy.

 

[NOYFB]

Thanks bee. I know the lung involvement is not a good thing. I will admit to just being completely confused as to what to do. Many years ago I had a cat who was only 5 1/2 who had an adenocarcinoma that had grown on his small intestine. Had it removed and he did not do well at all. I have a cat right now who four years ago had bladder stones removed and he has a heart problem. This year he was diagnosed wit Hyperthyroidism-allergic to Tapazol. Ended up having the radioactive iodine treatment. He is fourteen and with the heart problem I never thought he would make it this long but he is doing well. (knock on wood) I am willing to spend the money for the Chemo if it will help Quincy but I just don't know.

Not to threadjack, but what was your experience with the radioactive iodine? Our 15 year old kitty who has irritable bowel disease was also recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. We have been giving her the transdermal methimazole for a few months now and are considering the radioactive iodine as a permanent treatment. We are, however, concerned about the risks of renal failure since she is so old and has been struggling with an E-Coli infection in her urine that did not respond to amoxicillin (she is another antibiotic now for a longer course, so we are hopeful that it will be resolved soon) How old was your kitty when he had the treatment (I know you said he is 14 now)?

 

[Cind11]

Cind11, I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty. I have no advice, but wanted to send you hugs and DUST.

And I just posted how bad I felt leaving my dog at the vet for an IV This helps put it in perspective.

Thanks QueenB. I saw your thread and commented in it. Sounds like your doggie is doing better which is great!

 

[Cind11]

It is a difficult choice. For me I would definitely treat Manolo if it hadn't spread to the lungs. The fact that it spread to the lungs really would make me think twice about what to do. They were very slow to give chemo to animals where it had spread to the lungs where I did my externship. I would definitely do steroids but I'm just not sure if I would give stronger chemo drugs. I think it also depends on your cats nature. I know that Manolo absolutely hates travelling to the vets, he detests it, so I would be reluctant to bring him in for blood tests and check ups so often.

Quincy does not like being put in the carrier and taken anywhere. My cats never set a paw outside and live pretty sheltered lives. I do worry about him with the blood tests etc.

 

[Cind11]

I'm so sorry honey. I don't have advice but a lot of dust and good thoughts are coming your way.

Same here. I'm so sorry, and I hope you can find a treatment approach that you're comfortable with.

I would ask the vet what she would do with her own kitty, do some research on my own, and then go from there.

<<hugs>>

ETA: I would see if any vets in your area make house calls. We have local vets that make house calls for elderly pets, so perhaps that would be a good option for you and Quincy.

Thanks Haven. I am going to ask her about what she would do with her own cat in this situation. Someone was just telling me about a Vet in town who makes house calls but it isn't who we go to.

 

[Cind11]

Thanks bee. I know the lung involvement is not a good thing. I will admit to just being completely confused as to what to do. Many years ago I had a cat who was only 5 1/2 who had an adenocarcinoma that had grown on his small intestine. Had it removed and he did not do well at all. I have a cat right now who four years ago had bladder stones removed and he has a heart problem. This year he was diagnosed wit Hyperthyroidism-allergic to Tapazol. Ended up having the radioactive iodine treatment. He is fourteen and with the heart problem I never thought he would make it this long but he is doing well. (knock on wood) I am willing to spend the money for the Chemo if it will help Quincy but I just don't know.

Not to threadjack, but what was your experience with the radioactive iodine? Our 15 year old kitty who has irritable bowel disease was also recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. We have been giving her the transdermal methimazole for a few months now and are considering the radioactive iodine as a permanent treatment. We are, however, concerned about the risks of renal failure since she is so old and has been struggling with an E-Coli infection in her urine that did not respond to amoxicillin (she is another antibiotic now for a longer course, so we are hopeful that it will be resolved soon) How old was your kitty when he had the treatment (I know you said he is 14 now)?

My cat Phantom, had the radioactive iodine treatment this summer. He had an allergic reaction to the Tapazol so we could not give that to him anymore. So, he was 14 when he had it done. He has a heart problem but based on his bloodwork his cardiologist thought he would be able to handle the treatment. I think kidney problems do seem to be a concern and Phantom had his bloodwork done thirty days after the treatment and then I think (?) another ninety days after that and his kidney values were good. One thing was a tiny bit elevated (BUN or Creatinine can't remember which ) but they said it was ok. Hope your kitty gets over the infection. Let me know if you have anymore questions about the radioactive iodine treatment.

 

[bee*]

I'm so sorry honey. I don't have advice but a lot of dust and good thoughts are coming your way.

Same here. I'm so sorry, and I hope you can find a treatment approach that you're comfortable with.

I would ask the vet what she would do with her own kitty, do some research on my own, and then go from there.

<<hugs>>

ETA: I would see if any vets in your area make house calls. We have local vets that make house calls for elderly pets, so perhaps that would be a good option for you and Quincy.

Thanks Haven. I am going to ask her about what she would do with her own cat in this situation. Someone was just telling me about a Vet in town who makes house calls but it isn't who we go to.

I think the only problem with housecalls with oncology patients is that you need to run the bloods before you give treatment and depending on what treatment the cat is on, you may need techs there also to administer and if it's by IV, you need to have the animal in a hospital just in case any reactions occur. We do housecalls for almost everything at our surgery but we won't do it for oncology patients in relation to giving chemo.