Melatonin's effect isn't just cosmetic BUT it does not have anywhere
near as strong an effect on the tumors themselves as drugs such as
Lupron or deslorelin (and possibly related drugs like Trelstar.

Besides having some hormonal interactions melatonin as a treatment has
a purely dermal effect that means that it can work better on things
like fur regrowth. See fur industry studies; at least one of which is
in the separate Archives.

In studies of melatonin it appears that usually the effect of oral
melatonin is helpful for less time than the implant. The body's own
melatonin which is produced in response to darkness appears to have the
least chance of become ineffective over time, but it may not be present
in the levels needed to help most.

Better than either-or:
1. Surgery when possible is still the best approach.
2. If surgery is not possible then depending on where a person lives
the best is to use Melatonin implant *****AND***** either deslorelin or
Lupron DEPOT. It can not be the 24 hour version of the med. There is
info in the FML Archives, the FHL Archives, and Miamiferret on why that
is so. Deslorelin has not yet been approved except for study in the
U.S. but studies by people like Dr. Bob Wagner of U. Pitt echo those of
others like Dr. Nico Schoemaker of U. Utrecht showing that deslorelin
works well, costs less, and lasts longer. Hopefully, approval for the
use will happen soon in the U.S. because I think it must be about 3
years since it was first applied for.

Prevention: melatonin, deslorelin, and Lupron have been and in at least
two of those cases currently are being studied as preventatives. How to
use them effectively may vary according to latitude and other sources
of added light exposure; i.e. drugs like Lupron may not work as well
in places that get more light than her extreme NW U.S. location as Dr.
Cathy Johnson-Delaney continues her work in other locations (ongoing)
per her statements.

Vaccine: I mentioned this briefly but didn't say any details since it
had not been announced, but it is spoken of in Dr. Bruce William's
excellent and recommended article in the current Ferrets magazine. A
team including Doctors Bob Wagner and Mark Finkler (also a vet prof --
I think a joint vet school of Virginia and Maryland it my memory
serves --as well as clinician, and past head of an exotics veterinary
journal -- but forgive me for exact details skipping out on me right
now since i still have a lot on my plate and tension is still high
between bereavement and healing) is looking at a possible vaccine.
The vaccine would use a different approach and act directly on GnRH,
Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone.

The hope is for an effective and long term response that won't have
the risks of being effected by husbandry practices like too much light
exposure, nor have the possible risk of becoming less effective over
time (which happens with humans with the class of drugs mentioned
earlier that includes luprolide, deslorelin, and triptorelin and is
part of a large and long term study in Europe under Dr. Nico
Schoemaker).

Another husbandry practice which has possibly affected the rate of both
adrenal disease and insulinoma is breeding without regard to health,
longevity and behavior. When appearance is put first all sorts of
problems can arise. When Steve and I first began having ferrets-- which
I guess is approaching something like 27 years now -- both adrenal
disease and insulinoma were more rare and so were the symptoms. That
isn't just personal observation since I have also heard it from such
ferret health researchers as Dr. Karen Rosenthal. What Steve and i
first noticed was that first the rate of adrenal disease in older
ferrets increased and then later young ones with adrenal disease began
showing up. During that time at least two things which could have
effects happened: there were more and more fancies being bred for
their appearances, and those ubiquitous green equipment lights began
appearing on so very many things. After blue, green is the most
disruptive light wavelength range for the body's own melatonin
production. (Amber is the least disruptive so SHOULD be the color used
on equipment lights that are on at night if those lights even have to
be on.)

There are already two known genetic proclivities in U.S. ferrets which
have the potential to increase vulnerability to both adrenal disease
and insulinoma (as well as possibly some other things). The first is
MEN (Multiple Endocrinological Neoplasia) which is a genetic
alternation that can do exactly what it should like: make it easier for
new growths to begin and take hold in endocrinological tissues. The
second is an alteration of p53 which normally fights new growths, esp.
when they are in their very early stages and can be defeated. The
alteration lowers the body's ability to fight those invasive cells in
the species studied most thoroughly.

People will ask about diet. Diet might affect rates of insulinoma or
might work in conjunction with the altered genetics or other altered
husbandry practices or both to affect rates of insulinoma. It is under
study and needs to be considered a hypothesis at this stage, but unless
a ferret has a good reason to not use a high protein and low starch-
low or no sugar diet (as opposed to low carbohydrate because some fiber
sources are carbohydrates) then it is worth trying. Conditions which
make a high protein diet better avoided include a tendency to get
cystine uroliths (a type of urinary tract stone where any of 4 of the
amino acids pose a problem), or chronic kidney disease (but not acute)
unless the phosphorus levels can be otherwise reduced. There is not
evidence at this time that diet affects rates of adrenal disease,
though if a link to Luteinizing Hormone rates can be found that could
possibly change. Unfortunately, we have been having some ISP browser
server problems for a few weeks now and it is down now.
A Google search on
"Luteinizing Hormone" +diet
shows some studies on fats and on some protein sources so I want to
delve more deeply to see what they actually say when I have access.

Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5879]