Lung Cancer As The Primary Cancer?

[BauersMom]

Princess had chest x-rays done because she's been coughing for the last few days. X-rays shows several small "spots", no bigger than a pencil eraser at this point.

 

We're doing a short course of prednisone, but the vet is very concerned that it's early stage cancer.

 

Does anyone have any experience with lung tumors/cancer being the primary cancer, and not a metastasis from osteo and such?

 

Is there something else that we should be considering in the diagnosis?

Edited October 21, 2009 by BauersMom

[Burpdog]

Shadow had a lung tumor and that was the only place he had anything wrong.

 

For months, I thought it was his sinuses and he was coughing from drainage (well, allergy meds did help....). Vet was over doing acupuncture and said we should xray his lungs, and there was the tumor. Kept him going for around 5-6 months with pred.

[grey14me]

maybe some kind of fungal infection? valley fever?

[ahicks51]

maybe some kind of fungal infection? valley fever?

 

That's a good point- if the hound ever raced (or was so much as hauled) in the southwest, then that should be a suspicion. Similarly, the long bones of the leg, the shoulder, and (occasionally) other bones are sources of osteosarcoma, which frequently produces mets that get "filtered" by the lungs. Shadows on X-rays of the lungs may be mets from a tumor elsewhere.

[Guest trevdog]

Sometimes it can be....we lost one here to lung cancer, no mets anywhere else. Not very common though.

[Guest wdlndgreasil]

Tara has fluid build up in her chest - chylothorax. They think the underlying cause is lung cancer [possibly mesotheloma] though nothing is showing on the xrays yet other than the mass amounts of fluid in the pleural cavity. She just had 3 litres drained yesterday.

 

We could find out definitively with surgery but have opted not to since she's 10yrs old.

[tbhounds]

Sorry to hear that

[Batmom]

Is there something else that we should be considering in the diagnosis?

 

Fungal diseases. Blastomycosis and histoplasmosis can occur anywhere in the U.S. (unlike Valley Fever). I'm told fungus produces a pretty distinctive appearance on x-ray so you might be able to rule that out easily ... but if there is doubt, best get started on the bloodwork now because it takes awhile.

[Guest Greyglo]

Bambi was diagnosed with lung cancer which hadn't metastasized shortly before she was to have turned 12. In her case, we didn't have a lot of time after the coughing began and the vets and specialists didn't feel more could be done after viewing x-rays, etc. Perhaps the small "spots" discovered are fungal or somthing else as the others have mentioned. We're wishing Princess the very best from here -

[BauersMom]

Thanks all. No real improvement today, in fact her cough seems a little worse. I will ask about the fungal possibility and am working on getting the x-rays to OSU.

 

And just because she's too cute to not share:

[grey14me]

Oh, she is just adorable :hope

[Guest Greyglo]

She's such a cutie!

 

Keeping you both in my thoughts -

[3greys2cats]

Thanks all. No real improvement today, in fact her cough seems a little worse. I will ask about the fungal possibility and am working on getting the x-rays to OSU.

 

And just because she's too cute to not share:

 

Emma

 

Princess is so cute, love that picture! Sorry to hear about her diagnosis, no experience, but offering well wishes and prayers for her.

 

 

[Guest mcsheltie]

We recently lost Shauna to lung cancer. The specialist told us that lung cancer in dogs always starts elsewhere. She was very emphatic about it. We had no idea anything was wrong until she started having problems breathing. Her x-rays were shocking. Because there were no previous symptoms our vet was treating her for fungus. My in-laws live in an area that has a high incidence of fungal (specifically lung) infections. We were waiting on the results of the culture when she started to rapidly go downhill. We had an appointment for a biopsy and instead we let her go that day.

 

The one thing I remember them saying about fungal infections of the lungs is that you need to start treatment right away. If it progresses too far and there is too much consolidation in the lungs, they can't resolve it. They wanted to start treatment immediately and chose a drug that most respond to, rather than wait for the results of the culture.

 

Just so I don't totally scare you! Shauna's lungs were a mess, not small areas like what you are describing. I feel Shauna is still with us and all of us send prayers and love to you & Princess.

[Guest mcsheltie]

I thought of something else... If they do decide it is fungal have them prescribe Reglan with the antifungal. And start with Pepid right away. The antifungals can really mess up their stomachs and vomiting usually occurs. We were treating with Itraconazole.

[Guest 4greytful]

Sparkle had lung cancer and that was all that was wrong with her. Sending prayers for Princess.

[BauersMom]

Thanks all. Yesterday she didn't cough at all but then today she had a few coughing bouts. So it's not getting better but it's definitely not getting worse either.

 

I'm having her x-rays looked at by OSU and have an appt to have her seen by the other vet at the practice next week.

 

[Guest MySkye]

Princess

 

You were a very good hostess yesterday! I like your new "lair", it is very much "you".

 

Hugs to you from all of us in N. Stonington. You are in the very best of hands and hearts.

 

[Guest smudgebear]

I'm so sorry to hear this, Emma! Princess is beautiful...reminds me of a girl version of Shadow! I will keep her in my prayers.

[BauersMom]

Well. We went back in for another set of X-rays after her round of pred and there are NO spots on her lungs.

 

 

BUT, her lungs do appear to have fluid and her heart is slightly enlarged (but you know, with greyhounds, that can be a subjective thing...). So we're going to schedule an echo and see if this is some sort of beginning stage heart disease.

 

So we still have some investigating to do, but it's no longer looking quite so grim.

 

[Guest trevdog]

Well that's much better news. Did they rule out pneumonia?

[2hounds]

Glad to hear the x-rays showed better news, I hope she continues to feel better!

[Guest 3greysinPA]

oh boy.. that is better news... i pray that she continues to get better... hugs and prayers your way

[Remolacha]

while heart disease isn't a *good* diagnosis, it is so much better than lung cancer!

 

and maybe it won't even be that!

[Guest Rogersmom]

I wish you the best. We had to put our Rhodesian Ridgeback down due to cancer. He was only 7 years 7 months old. He started by not moving one day even if a cookie was put in front of him. He was very much a counter surfer so we knew something was not right. We had to carry him to the car to go to the emergency vet's. His blood work was off and it looked like kidney disease. He spent the weekend at the emergency vet being treated for dehydration. We then had to follow up with our vet who started sub cutaneous saline solution injections and put the dog on a low protein diet. We were to do the saline treatment every other day. Rocky cried all night long after the first treatment. My son said that if that was what his life was going to be like, we should put him down. Our vet said he did not need to be put down and used a pain reliever in the next treatment. The diet and saline seemed to be working ok. His blood work improved and the saline treatments were stopped. Within three weeks, he was lying at the patio door, breathing very hard and his stomach appeared to be distended. I was concerned that he had bloat and rushed him to the emergency vet. (Naturally things like this never happen when my regular vet is in the office.) With in three hours, the diagnosis was changed three times from stomach filled with blood from a tumor, stomach filled with fluid from a tumor pressing on something (this was after withdrawing fluid and seeing that it was clear) to lung cancer following an x-ray. Rocky's gums were almost white. He was getting oxygen when he was x-rayed. The vet said that little oxygen was getting into his lungs. She said it wa a rapid development to explain why she had not noticed this when we were there before. With each diagnosis she told me that surgery would be expensive and that he probably would not survive and that I should put him down. All this happened so quickly and through my tears, I am sure I missed a lot of details. In any event, Rocky died as a result of lung cancer. He never coughed and until the last day, he never even showed signs of having trouble breathing. Your dog is a beauty. I know the pain you are feeling right now and I wish I could make it better for you.

 

Best wishes,

 

Liz and Roger