My dog had cancer surgery. Does his good behavior mean it hasn't spread?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would agree that the mediastinal mass is very evident and I would also be very suspicious that it is in fact cancer even if the biopsy did not show that. Sometimes dogs appear to be comfortable even when they are in pain. These new lumps you describe could be somewhat related to this or may be unrelated. I think it would be ideal to have Yogi reevaluated to see if the mass has progressed and if the nodules in the lungs (which likely represent spread of the tumor) have also progressed. I would maintain him on pain control medications even if he does not appear to be obviously in pain. Good luck and have a great day!

It could be an accidental finding, enlarged lymph nodes on the intestines for example are common with gastrointestinal infections and other intestinal condition. i am assuming he sent the lump to histologist examination, you should get the results in a few days.

Hello, sorry to hear about Giuseppe. Because the lymph node has decreased in size with antibiotics alone and the fact that only a single lymph node is enlarged, this is less likely consistent with lymphoma. Lymphoma typically affects multiple nodes and does not respond to antibiotics. Occasionally, active lymph nodes may remain slightly enlarged for a few days, or if the infection is not being completely treated then the lymph node may remain big. The best way to confirm if this lymph node has lymphoma or not, would be to obtain cytology with a with a needle aspirate to have a pathologist examine the cells. Cytology is generally a non-invasive procedure and could be done by your veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I'm sorry Shiloh isn't doing well! Unfortunately cancer can be common in senior dogs, and I'm not surprised your vet suspects lymphoma. Without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain what is her diagnosis, so I recommend taking her into another vet for a second opinion. Best of luck.

If Georgia is only a year old and only has a single swollen lymph node it is more likely infection related. However, the only way to know for sure is to have her examined and a needle aspirate sample obtained from the lymph node. Your veterinarian can evaluate the sample under the microscope to help determine if it is infection or cancer related. I'd recommend getting it checked out fairly soon as Georgia may need antibiotics or other supportive treatment if it is related to infection. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I'm hoping for a good prognosis for Georgia May!

If there is no detectable cancer, then the best thing to do here is treat it like an inflammatory condition with steroids +/- antibiotics through your vet. I would also consider an abdominal ultrasound just to be thorough. Elevated WBC's either means infection or inflammation in most cases, especially if cancer is ruled out. I hope that this helps and best of luck moving forward with your pet Chub. Take care. : )

Surgery to remove a peripheral lymph node is not any more invasive than the surgery to remove a mast cell tumor on the skin. I'm assuming this lymph node is one that is near his shoulder or behind his knee. This could provide valuable information, because additional treatment would be recommended if cancerous mast cells are confirmed in the lymph node even though the initial biopsy came back as a low grade tumor that is less likely to spread. You can always ask your vet about the potential complications of surgery.