Guest jurishound Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Harley Earl (9.5 years) has been DX with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor on his rear flank. I have not seen the path report yet, but from what I understand the margins were dirty and the tumor was Grade 2. We have a consult next week with the vet (and I will try to reach Dr. Couto in the interim), but we have been told we can (1) do nothing; (2) do additional surgery to try to achieve cleaner margins; (3) do radiation (5 days a week for several weeks); or (4) do both. I have learned that these tumors usually do not metastasize to other parts of the body, but they often recur, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. The median lifespan after resection is approximately 2 years; some dogs succumb after just a few months; some never have a recurrence. If anyone has any experience with this, I would be very grateful to hear it. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mychip1 Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 No experience.....just prayers.... Quote Robin, EZ (Tribal Track), JJ (What a Story), Dustin (E's Full House) and our beautiful Jack (Mana Black Jack) and Lily (Chip's Little Miss Lily) both at the BridgeThe WFUBCC honors our beautiful friends at the bridge. Godspeed sweet angels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinw Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 I'm sorry, I don't have any experience. Quote Xavi the galgo and Peter the cat. Missing Iker the galgo ?-Feb.9/19, Treasure (USS Treasure) April 12/01-May 6/13, Phoenix (Hallo Top Son) Dec.14/99-June 4/11 and Loca (Reko Swahili) Oct.9/95 - June 1/09, Allen the boss cat, died late November, 2021, age 19. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 2dogs4cats Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 I have asked this same question on Circle of Grey and no one there was really familiar with it either. I am thinking it's uncommon? I am adopting a Grey with this type of cancer. He was scheduled for surgery, but it burst before the surgery was able to be done. I am guessing he will be high risk for recurrence. I read somewhere that there is higher than 70% chance it will grow back after surgery. I think I will be treating with Chinese herbs, but there is no easy answer for sure. If I get any answers from Circle of Grey, I will let you know. If you are not a member, you should join. Prayers for you and your pup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houndtime Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 No advice; just good thoughts coming you way. Quote Irene Ullmann w/Flying Odin and Mama Mia in Lower Delaware Angels Brandy, John E, American Idol, Paul, Fuzzy and Shine Handcrafted Greyhound and Custom Clocks http://www.houndtime.com Zoom Doggies-Racing Coats for Racing Greyhounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fasave Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Hey Joslin! Sorry to hear about Harley. Avalanche had a nerve sheath tumor removed from his back and they got clean margins. Depending on the location, I think I would try another surgery first. The other option is to ask Dr. Couto if he thinks the FU5 (I think this is what it's called, injectable chemo treatment) would work on this type of cancer. If so, I can send you the information on the Rhode Island vet that Maria used with Rizzo. This is the treatment that I also started on Ave for the soft tissue sarcoma he had on his leg that came back two years post surgery. I stopped the treatment only because he was diagnosed with other issues in December. I'm not sure what vet you take Harley to but be aware that none of the vet hospitals in MA will do this treatment which is why Maria & I went to RI. This chemo treatment is only 4 injections and the cost is around $900, far less than radiation. It might give you some peace of mind. Let me know if want more information or want to talk. You know how to reach me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyWrangler Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Sprite, at age 10, had one on her back (in the area of all her vaccinations). She was operated on and they got clean margins and it never came back there. But... she did have reoccurances, just not in that area, she developed a tumor on her elbow, not a good place for clean margins. But we had it removed several times. While it did not cause her death, she lived to 15, i think it did effect her quality of life. Quote Nancy and Grace - Andicot 2/1/07 Solo - Flying Han Solo 3/20/11 Missing: Murphy, Shine, Kim, Sprite, Red Dog, Lottie & Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhndz Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Joslin, check your e-mail. I'm sending you some literature. I'm so sorry you're going through this.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greypuppyluv Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Our first whippet had a couple of nerve sheath tumors (I don't know if they could be referred to as peripheral since that wasn't mentioned at the time). One was on the side of his ribcage and the other near his jugular. We had both surgically removed but did no other treatments. I don't remember if both had clean margins or not since it was so long ago. The tumor on his jugular never did come back, but the one on his side did. He died within a year or so, but not from that.....from hemangiosarcoma that he came to us with. Quote Paula & her pups--Paneer (WW Outlook Ladd), Kira & Rhett (the whippets)Forever in my heart...Tinsel (Born's Bounder - 11/9/90-12/18/01), Piper, Chevy, Keno, Zuma, Little One, Phaelin & WinnieGreyhound Adoption Center ~ So Cal rep for Whippet Rescue And Placement For beautiful beaded collars, check out my Facebook page: The Swanky Hound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 I sent you a pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetdogs Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 My old man had a bump removed that we thought was a lipoma. He was about Harley's age & it was in the exact same spot. Because the vet thought it was a lipoma, she wasn't even trying for clean margins so we got a little shock when the pathology came back as hemangiopericytoma (essentially a peripheral nerve sheath tumor). I did take him to an oncologist who ran through the options you've mentioned & even talked to The Man (Dr. Couto) about it. He recommended additional surgery right away to clean up the margins & the onc doc suggested the same. I decided to take our chances & it's never returned. Gave him a mohawk on his thigh though. He had another bump pop up around his ankle area last year & we took that thing off pronto. It wasn't the same thing I don't think (I'm at work & records are at home) but it healed up so fast I actually forgot about it until I came across some pictures I took. It too has never returned although it's likely it would. If you search here for hemangiopericytoma, you'll find a few threads showing that Faolin is not the only one who's had good luck. He'll be 14 in a few weeks. I wish exactly the same for handsome Harley. Faolin would like to say: Missus Joslin, pleeze by sum jams fer Harley, like deez. Much less funny-looking undiginifieded then a baby dyper. Quote Deirdre with Conor (Daring Pocobueno), Keeva (Kiowa Mimi Mona), & kittehs Gemma & robthomas. Our beloved angels Faolin & Liath, & kittehs Mona & Caesar. Remembering Bobby, Doc McCoy, & Chip McGrath. "He feeds you, pets you, adores you, collects your poop in a bag. There's only one explanation: you are a hairy little god." Nick Galifinakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 My Kramer had a nerve sheath tumor of some sort. I didn't pursue an exact diagnosis after the pathologist confirmed it was malignant. He was 12 or 13 years old at the time, and the prognosis was poor--in addition, it was painful. We enjoyed one more summer together, and then one morning he told me he'd had enough, and I let him go. You can see how large it is; they would have had to remove a huge section of his side. The pain he would have endured, only to have it most likely grow back--I couldn't put him through that. Hopefully your dog's isn't this big and you have better news. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 p.m. Greytlady94 I think that is what her girl had. Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickiesmom Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 My whippet Rickie had a tumour (hemangiopericytoma) on his right thigh. First surgery did not get clean margins and it returned about a year later. That time we took Rickie to a specialty hospital. The surgery was fairly aggressive (Rickie lost some muscle and needed a skin flap) but the margins were clean (only my millimetres). We did no further treatment and to date the tumour has not returned. Had we not gotten clean margins we would have gone with Dr Couto's intra-lesional chemo treatment. RooRoo on this board has a hound who went through this chemo very very well - you might want to PM her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyWrangler Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 This was Sprite's Tumor, located on her back, just off a bit from her shoulder points, had to really get good definition on a black dog. : This one is graphic post surgical shot. then a few days later: Quote Nancy and Grace - Andicot 2/1/07 Solo - Flying Han Solo 3/20/11 Missing: Murphy, Shine, Kim, Sprite, Red Dog, Lottie & Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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