Wait Time Between Submitting A Consult Request

[Guest goofydog]

At my request, after Get Em's lump histopathology came back as hemangiopericytoma, my vet sent a consult request to OSU through the site on November 9th. She hasn't had a response to date. I realize they have a very busy practice and there was the Thanksgiving holiday tossed in the mix, however 6 weeks seems a bit long to wait.

 

Does anyone know how much longer we may need to wait to hear something?

 

TIA

 

Toni

 

 

[Charlies_Dad]

Have your vet or you tried to call? I thought they had a contact number as well. I would also try e-mail because that does seem like a long time.

[Riverhound]

I waited less than a week. I'd try again.

[Guest goofydog]

Thanks Kyle and Riverhound. I'll pull the number and give them a shout tomorrow. I did ask my vet to check her 'spam' folder too, just in case, but there was nothing there.

[tbhounds]

I'm sure your request for a consult became lost in the shuffle. I would resubmit or give them a holler tomorrow.

Just an FYI those tumors are not uncommon and rarely met but, depending on the location of the mass it's not always possible to achieve clean margins. Was it located on a limb?

[vjgrey]

My initial consult request (also sent on November 9th oddly enough) was lost in the shuffle. A few weeks later, after Gabe started chemo, I called and then submitted a second request. I received a response to that one within 24 hours.

[Guest goofydog]

I'm sure your request for a consult became lost in the shuffle. I would resubmit or give them a holler tomorrow.

Just an FYI those tumors are not uncommon and rarely met but, depending on the location of the mass it's not always possible to achieve clean margins. Was it located on a limb?

 

You're right about the mets rate. From the research we did it looks like only about a 25% return, usually at the same site, with a mets rate of 2%, and survival time of 118 weeks.

 

The lump appeared on his right shoulder Thursday night before I was taking him in on Friday to discuss trying to remove his ruptured saliva gland and we decided she would take the lump while he was anesthesized. Dr. Bradley felt she had clean margins at the time (it was anchored in the muscle and she took what she thought was enough mass). Then the path report came back stating that tumor cells were evident to the margins. Once we knew what it was and did more research we found that this cancer sends small tendrils into the surrounding tissue that can't be seen by the naked eye it became a new ballgame.

 

Further research revealed that this particular cancer doesn't respond well to systemic chemo, however there might be a clinical trial of a chemo that is injected directly into the tumor, or excision site, that had shown some degree of success. Oddly enough this trial drug is named either 5FU or FU5. This trial was why I asked Dr. Bradley to do the consult.

 

I'll reach out to OSU tomorrow to see if they can locate the original consult request or if a new one needs to be submitted.

 

Toni

 

My initial consult request (also sent on November 9th oddly enough) was lost in the shuffle. A few weeks later, after Gabe started chemo, I called and then submitted a second request. I received a response to that one within 24 hours.

 

I'm gald your second request got a fast response. I'll be contacting OSU tomorrow to see if a 2nd request needs to be sent for us also.

 

Best wishes for Gabe and his treatment.

[MaryJane]

I heard back within 48 hours which I thought was very quick knowing how busy they are. I might suggest that you submit again.

[winnie]

I heard back within 48 hours which I thought was very quick knowing how busy they are. I might suggest that you submit again.

 

About 48 hours here too... and ditto to submitting the request again.

[joejoesmom]

I'm sure your request for a consult became lost in the shuffle. I would resubmit or give them a holler tomorrow.

Just an FYI those tumors are not uncommon and rarely met but, depending on the location of the mass it's not always possible to achieve clean margins. Was it located on a limb?

 

You're right about the mets rate. From the research we did it looks like only about a 25% return, usually at the same site, with a mets rate of 2%, and survival time of 118 weeks.

 

The lump appeared on his right shoulder Thursday night before I was taking him in on Friday to discuss trying to remove his ruptured saliva gland and we decided she would take the lump while he was anesthesized. Dr. Bradley felt she had clean margins at the time (it was anchored in the muscle and she took what she thought was enough mass). Then the path report came back stating that tumor cells were evident to the margins. Once we knew what it was and did more research we found that this cancer sends small tendrils into the surrounding tissue that can't be seen by the naked eye it became a new ballgame.

 

Further research revealed that this particular cancer doesn't respond well to systemic chemo, however there might be a clinical trial of a chemo that is injected directly into the tumor, or excision site, that had shown some degree of success. Oddly enough this trial drug is named either 5FU or FU5. This trial was why I asked Dr. Bradley to do the consult.

 

I'll reach out to OSU tomorrow to see if they can locate the original consult request or if a new one needs to be submitted.

 

Toni

 

My initial consult request (also sent on November 9th oddly enough) was lost in the shuffle. A few weeks later, after Gabe started chemo, I called and then submitted a second request. I received a response to that one within 24 hours.

 

I'm gald your second request got a fast response. I'll be contacting OSU tomorrow to see if a 2nd request needs to be sent for us also.

 

Best wishes for Gabe and his treatment.

 

I just wanted to say that Dr. Couto at OSU has been using a local injection of 5FU into the tumor site of soft tissue cancers for a number of years. He has had very good success. It is actually fairly inexpensive and readily available, so if you don't get into a trial, don't worry. The drug is actually quite cheap. The sedation and the administration is what costs. Since the 5FU in it's normal state is very thin and would clear the tumor site very quickly, there is a special "mixing" procedure that is followed. The 5FU and a medical grade oil is put into a "mixing" syringe. As it goes through the syringe and is mixed, it becomes sort of like whipped cream. This is injected into the tumor site and stays in place for a number of hours. The dog needs to be sedated because it "burns" as it is injected. There are very few side affects and these tend to be local (such as localized redness). In the case that I was involved in, a spindle cell cancer, the dog received 4 treatments.

 

OSU's goal is to respond to consult requests within 3 business days. I am sure that your request got lost somehow.

 

Jane

[maggiespet]

Toni - I'm sorry I must have missed much of this. Many prayers for the Pirate.

[Guest goofydog]

Toni - I'm sorry I must have missed much of this. Many prayers for the Pirate.

 

Thank you Jane! I've been remiss in updating you too

 

I spoke to Dr. Bradley yesterday afternoon and she is going to resubmit the consult request and let me know when she gets a response.

 

Joejoesmom, thanks so much for the info on the chemo and how it is used. Do you know if I would have to wait and see if the tumor returned to have it injected or if it could be placed in the tumor excision site? Since there weren't clean margins and the path report stated tumor cells visable to the margins I am wondering if a proactive approach might be used.

[joejoesmom]

Toni - I'm sorry I must have missed much of this. Many prayers for the Pirate.

 

Thank you Jane! I've been remiss in updating you too

 

I spoke to Dr. Bradley yesterday afternoon and she is going to resubmit the consult request and let me know when she gets a response.

 

Joejoesmom, thanks so much for the info on the chemo and how it is used. Do you know if I would have to wait and see if the tumor returned to have it injected or if it could be placed in the tumor excision site? Since there weren't clean margins and the path report stated tumor cells visable to the margins I am wondering if a proactive approach might be used.

 

If it is like the spindle cell case I was involved with, you definitely want to do it soon after the gross tumor is removed. The success rate is significantly better if there is no gross tumor visible. Dr. Couto uses it after a soft tissue cancer is removed when they couldn't get clear margins. I don't remember how long they waited after the gross tumor was removed, but I assume they waited until it was healed enough to remove the sutures.

 

Jane

[krissn333]

This is really interesting....the lump that Ace recently had removed from her leg came back as a spindle cell carcinoma.

 

When you say it's inexpensive, how inexpensive are we talking?

[robinw]

I waited for a while. I didn't receive a response until I contacted Dr. Couto directly.

[Tallgreydogmom]

Last time I spoke with Dr Couto he said the Phone system (which would include internet) does not really work that well somedays. So do not wait, call them or re-submit. It is a problem they have no control over and just have to live with.

[Guest Fasave]

This is really interesting....the lump that Ace recently had removed from her leg came back as a spindle cell carcinoma.

 

When you say it's inexpensive, how inexpensive are we talking?

 

I started the 5FU treatment with my boy. The cost was approximately $200/treatment so a total of $800 approximately.

[krissn333]

Thanks! I'll ask about it when we go in for Pinky's next chemo

[joejoesmom]

I know inexpensive is a relative term. It is definitely inexpensive when compared to the 20 radiation treatments that is the more traditional treatment. He has had similar success as radiation. I think OSU charges about $200 a treatment also.

 

Jane