>From:    Tamara Stanton <[log in to unmask]>
>Our middle ferret, Max, who is just 2 and a half years old, has developed
>a golfball-sized mass in his abdomen... preliminarily diagnosed ... as
>being one of several things: enlarged spleen, pancreatic cancer, or kidney
>cancer.
>
>I should note that Max JUST went through surgery for adrenal gland cancer
>SIX MONTHS AGO and everything else looked normal (he is also growing the
>hair back on his tail and everything).
>
>So now we have some tough decisions to make.  If I knew that this would be
>the end of his surgical needs, I would sign up for exploratory surgery
>tomorrow (though I'm a bit concerned about how his already weak system
>will handle another surgery just six months after his last one).  But I'm
>nervous (and so is the vet) that Max just has a weak system in general, and
>that another surgery will simply be one in a chain of surgeries needed to
keep this little guy healthy, and we don't know how much he can take.
>My question is twofold: has anyone out there had an experience like this;
>and has anyone had success with chemotherapy with something this large?
 
Hi:
 
First off, I'm sorry to hear about your dilemma.  I am facing the same with
Saffron and I'm sorry to say my decision will be no surgery.
 
Since Thanksgiving, 3 of 4 of our ferrets have had cancer surgery including
pancreatic, kidney, liver, etc.  Toby, our oldest at 8, only survived 2
days post op.  He died in agony four weeks ago.  His tumor grew to golf
ball size in a few weeks.  It was on the liver and I think he bleed to
death internally 2 days postop.
 
Taffy had one adrenal gland removed and is on daily meds, her tail hair is
starting to grow back.  It appears she is on the road to recovery but the
other adrenal gland wasn't 100% unaffected so we will see.
 
Saffron had liver surgery 2 months ago and the vet said she had a lot of
spotting.  Another lump is reappeared in two weeks.  I know it's two weeks
because she had an ultrasound then and all was well.  She is only 4.  She
is a great deal of pain and can not move around well.  She will take 2
steps and then plop down to rest.  Her next vet visit is this Friday and we
will probably help her cross the Rainbow Bridge.  More surgery will not
improve her quality of life.
 
I guess that final statement is my point.  If it will not improve the
quality, not quantity, of life, don't do it.  I don't want Saffron to
live longer in pain.  If she has one tumor, she will have more.
 
YMMV, best of luck on your decision.
 
Dave Weinreb
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[Posted in FML issue 2998]