bc friend Posted July 21, 2007 Report Share Posted July 21, 2007 It's a bad news/good news report. The 2 large tumors which were removed were a mix of hepatocellular carcinoma and benign adenoma. She has a number of tiny nodules remaining in her liver, some which were biopsied and are either the same carcinoma or benign or normal regenerative liver nodules. Chemo is not recommended; it is a harsh version which is very hard on older dogs w/o much benefit. The good news is that this type of cancer is slow growing and the medical prognosis is that she will probably not develop symptoms for 12-24 months. Once she develops symptoms, she could live a few days to a few months. Although she will likely develop more tumors of varying sizes in her liver, this cancer is unlikely to metastasize to her lungs or other organs. In the meantime, the only recommended treatment is supportive. She is on neutraceuticals (Denosyl) and milk thistle to support her liver function. She will have frequent vet checks to monitor the progress of the disease but for right now, she's great. She shows no sign of illness, and has recovered beautifully from the surgery. Her staples have been removed, she's eating very well, and is not happy that I won't let her run and jump (she's supposed to be kept "quiet" for 2 more weeks), she's alert and playful so hopefully she will have a long period of time like this. While I would have naturally preferred a totally benign diagnosis, realistically as she'll be 15 in @ 6 weeks, this is not a totally bad prognosis and I don't regret the surgery to extend her life. Thanks for the concern you have shown - I truly appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OurBoys Posted July 21, 2007 Report Share Posted July 21, 2007 I can appreciate your bittersweet situation. I will continue to keep you and Sara in my prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted July 22, 2007 Report Share Posted July 22, 2007 Oh - I'm sorry it's not totally good news, but as you say, given Sara's age, it's not as bad as it might have been. Sounds like she's recovering well from the surgery, which is a tribute to you considering her age. Here's hoping whatever time she has left is enjoyable - sounds like it will be. Woofs and happy thoughts from the land Down Under. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 The good news and not-so-good news...argh. At least she's had a wonderful life with you, and you'll have her awhile longer! A friend turned me onto Schizandra, instead of milk thistle. I can get it special ordered as a tincture. Haven't been using it long enough to know for certain that it's doing a lot of good - but as I understand it (read here that I am not a herbalist or supplement expert), milk thistle is best for "cleansing" the liver, but Schizandra is better for general liver support. Might be worth doing some research on it for your girl. Best of luck. diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCjetta Posted July 26, 2007 Report Share Posted July 26, 2007 We had a client with a dog that had that type of liver tumor and we did the same thing (removed as much as we could) and the dog lived more than a year later and ended up having to be put down due to failing kidneys, not the tumor (allthough we were monitoring it and it was slowly growing back). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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