Cat FISS: Should we scan for cancer spread before amputation?

Hello. It is true that FISS can be associated with other injections besides vaccinations. We have seen sarcomas develop in areas where long-acting antibiotic & steroids have been injected, where suture material might remain, & from microchips. So, there might be a genetic predisposition for a sarcoma to form in these situations. If this is the only way to get the antibiotic into your cat, then varying the injection sites & doing this for the shortest period possible is recommended. But it is never a foregone conclusion that this will lead to sarcoma formation in Camis. Most cats do very, very well & never develop any problems. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. I’m so sorry to hear about your cat. I had a lovely long haired cat with lymphoma years ago. There is lymph tissue throughout the body. Before deciding on any types of surgery, it is beneficial to know just how extensive her cancer is. If she, for example, has a section of intestinal tract with a tumor or a couple of tumors, that area can be removed. However, if it seems that the cancer is already metastasized to liver, spleen, lungs, etc. , her prognosis would change and possibly surgery would not be if much benefit. A treatment plan if surgery/ chemotherapy / both can be arrived at after more information is collected.

That's a complicated recommendation to give, especially since we don't know the type of cancer. It is possible that local excision could be curative. It is also possible that after local excision and a diagnosis from histopathology, we find that amputation is needed. In my opinion solely based on the pictures, I would probably remove the tumor and not try to get aggressive clean borders and wait to see what the tumor is before doing anything more drastic.

I'm so sorry other that! It sounds like he's been through a lot. a lot depends on what the biopsy results show, unfortunately its very hard to speculate without that information, other than to say that his prognosis is more guarded since he is FIV +. Sorry I don't have more to offer you right now; please feel free to post again with the results once you have them, or request a consultation with an expert once you have results and we will do our best to help you more. I'm so glad to hear that he is feeling well. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry that Max has a lump. FNA (Fine needle aspirate) is the name of the procedure your vet performed. Some types of cancers, including Mast Cell Tumors, will exfoliate (give off) a lot of cells when this procedure is performed, and have a very classic appearance under the microscope. Therefore yes, this is a proper procedure and diagnostic test. I would recommend that you chat with your vet about staging (looking to see if the cancer has spread to other locations of the body- usually using ultrasound and chest x-rays), and if it has not, have the tumor removed. Ensure you chat with your vet about if they are comfortable doing the surgery to get proper margins (3cm diameter and 3 facial planes) or if a surgical specialist is required. This will depend on the location of the mass. Best of luck with Max, hopefully it is a low grade and will be cured with surgery!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Fiona. Unfortunately, there is no way to determine if the mass is cancerous or not just by looking at it. Her veterinarian could perform a simple procedure known as a fine needle aspirated. The doctor would use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This can lead to a diagnosis in some cases, but can be inaccurate. For a more accurate diagnosis, the mass would need to surgically removed and the whole mass submitted to the laboratory for a pathologist to review. I understand your hesitancy to do so given her age. That being said, cats have a higher rate of cancerous mammary tumors compared to dogs. Furthermore, the mass appears ulcerated in your picture. This can can associated with malignancy as well. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that it is cancerous. I hope this information helps.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Milly. I will typically start with a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate. I use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This can help to diagnose the mass. It is not as accurate as a biopsy, but it generally gives a lot of information. The cat needs to hold still and cooperate though. So cats are different to draw blood on awake. This may have been why the recommendation was made to anesthetize her and collect all the samples at once. I hope this information helps!