Hi everyone,
I still can't believe this is happening.  My 3 year old male ferret, Kirby,
had a pea size reddish lump on his lip(inside) by his right upper
canine(fang) tooth.  I immediately called the vet and we took him in the
following day to have it removed.  It was sent out (to California of all
places) for testing.  They told me (last Friday) it would be about 10 days
before we would hear anything.  Well, Monday afternoon my daughter took the
call and we were told the results.  He said he hasn't had many ferrets as
patients but in other animals this is a very fast spreading cancer.  He said
he had taken as much tissue as he could without taking the lip and cheek
area and that it had apparently spread beyond there.  He said it could be
days or weeks maybe a month.  I don't know what to expect here and what to
do to make Kirby as comfortable as we can.  Our vet doesn't hold out much
hope.  I know many of you have gone through this with your fuzzies and I'm
wondering if there are things I can do at this point.  If one of the Doctors
on the FML could explain the report in laymans terms that would help,too.
Any ideas what could have caused this?
 
We have lost a number of pets to cancer, and there are neighbors around us
that have too.  Kristen, my daughter had white mice (as many as 2 dozen at
one time and most of them died of very fast growing tumors.  They would grow
from BB size to golfball size in 10 days or less.  We have wondered if it
could be in the water (although when we had it tested it was OK).  This was
farming area 30 years ago and I've wondered if it could be pesticides.  If
it could be, maybe I DON'T want to know.  I am still in denial here so
forgive me if I'm rambling on.  Thanks for listening.  You folks are the
best.
 
Sincerely,
   Bruce, Bandit and Kirby
The gang from Bangor, Maine.
****************************************************************************
                                KIRBY'S REPORT
Histopath Report:
Source:
 Gingiva above right upper canine; gray white tissue(s) less than 1cm - all
 processed.
Description:
 The small biopsy fragments reveal an ulcerated, stratified squamous muccosa.
 Present within the submucosa, and extending to the deep margin are cords of
 downward proliferating anaplastic squamous epithelial cells.  The nests or
 cords of cells reveal significant anisocytosis and anisokaryosis.  Many
 karyomegalic cells with prominent nucleoli are observed, and mitotic
 figures are consistantly encountered 1-2/hpf.  The fibrocollagenous stroma
 separating the proliferating epithelial cells is inflamed.
Diagnosis:
 SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA.
Prognosis:
 Guarded, with potential for local invasion and distant metastasis.
Comments:
 The morphology of the tumor cells was consistant with a relatively high
 grade squamous cell carcinoma.  Long-term epidemiology studies are not
 available in this species for this tumor; however, continued locally
 aggerssive growth and metastasis would both be considered possible.  Wide
 surgical excision, if possible, is recommended.
Borders:
 All deep and lateral borders consist of affected tissue.
[Posted in FML issue 1862]