A potential life-saving choice when there is adrenocortical carcinoma on
the right side in Issue 15:
 
 Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 15:43:16 -0500
 From: [log in to unmask]
 Subject: RE: ferret is in trouble! Please read!
 
Dear XXXXX:
 
In these cases, a biopsy to identify what type of tumor is extremely
important, even if you are not going to attempt to remove it at the time
of the original surgery.  In this site, there is a good chance that it
may be an adrenocortical carcinoma, and that the large vein is the
posterior vena cava.  Another possibility is lymphoma, which carries a
poor prognosis.  A biopsy at the time of surgery would have given us
basic information on whether or not to proceed.
 
If we are dealing with an adrenocortical carcinoma on the right side, there
is a salvage procedure which is not without risk, but has saved many ferret
lives.  On the right side, the adrenal gland sits on top of (and actually
wraps around) the posterior vena cava, the largest vein in the body.  Many
vets are hesitant to operate on these glands for this very reason.  In the
cases of malignancies on the right side, rather than do nothing, and wait
until the animal disease of metastasis or intra-abdominal hemorrhage, you
can actually ligate the vena cava on either side of the tumor, and remove
it "en bloc".  If the tumor has been slow in developing, the body will
have enough time to open other blood channels as the vena cava flow becomes
progressively choked off by the tumor.  About 15-20% of ferrets undergoing
this procedure will not survive, but 100% will not survive otherwise.
 
Today, in cases with large adrenocortical malignancies, there is no reason
to close one up and wait for the end.  To my mind, 80% chance is better
than 0% chance and poor quality of life.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
 
Join the Ferret Health List:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list
[Posted in FML issue 3343]