Cross-posted from the Ferret Health List...
 
 --- In Ferret-Health-list, "Vicki Rummel" <vicki.rummel@u...> wrote:
>My ferret, Smokey just had surgery on monday for a tumor around his
>anus.  The biopsy results showed it was apocrin adenocarcinoma.  Our
>vet said the prognosis is poor and that he may only have a couple of
>months left.  He expects the tumor to grow again and that Smokey would
>not be able to have a BM.  We feel so helpless.
 
Dear Vicki:
 
While we have already talked on this case, I am glad that you posted it to
the FHL, because it deserves comment.
 
Apocrine glands are scent glands, and as one would expect in ferrets, they
are most highly concentrated in the head, neck, the prepuce and vulva, so
this is where we see the highest incidence of these lesions.
 
Scent glands may become cystic or enlarged, and form a small lump under the
skin, or become neoplastic.  While most tumors of scent glands are benign,
we do see a number of malignant ones.  In opposition to most skin tumors in
frrets, apocrine tumors, when malignant, often metastatize, and can cause
the death of the animal.
 
Aprocrine adenocarcinomas, or apocrine sweat gland malignacies, when seen
in the prepuce or perivulvar area are especially problematic.  These
neoplasms tend to metastasize to internal lymph nodes, often before the
skin tumor is even noticed.  Internally, these tumors either grow to a
large size, or may metastasize to internal organs as well.  In the area
of the pelvic canal, metastatic tumors over several months may impact
on elimination.  The neoplasms are resistant to chemotherapy, and
unfortunately most commonly progress to a point where the animals have
to be put to sleep.
 
For this reason, I recommend early surgical intervention in tumors of the
prepuce or perineum - to identify malignancies and to prevent, if possible,
further spread of the tumor.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce H. Williams, DVM
 
Join the Ferret Health List at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list
[Posted in FML issue 3339]