----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark E. Huss" <[log in to unmask] To: <[log in to unmask] Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2001 8:32 PM Subject: FML: Cart before the horse >hello, > >I don't mean to take advantage of your kindness, but here's what we know. > >The ferret is 6, and quite suddenly lost a lot of weight. We took to her >to our vet, who checked her and palpatated (right word?) a hard lump in >her lower abdomen, and said it was likely to be lymphosarcoma. She did >not recommend any blood tests or a biopsy. > >As I mentioned in my FML post, she has owned ferrets before, including one >who had lympho and chemo. > >FWIW, this same vet correctly suspected pancreanoma in our oldest ferret, >which had a partial pancreatotomy 15 months ago and is still hanging in. > >I sent you this directly to avoid adding bulk to the FML, but feel free to >post this and a reply there if you think it's appropriate. > >best regards, > >mark, midge & the fuzzie five. >>Cart before the horse. You say the diagnosis is "probably lymphosarcoma". >> >>What tests have been done? Chemotherapy is not a benign process, as your >>vet's previous experience will indicate. You need a definitive diagnosis >>of lymphoma before,chemotherapy is even anticipated - chemotherapy is >>actually not very, likely to cause remission in a ferret with lymphoma, >>but definitely will,make one that doesn't have pretty sick. >> >>Perhaps if you reviewed the case, I may be able to give you some more, >>specific information. Dear Mark: This lump could be a number of things other than lympho - an adrenal tumor, a smooth muscle tumor, a swollen kidney, and more. While palpation is good for establishing whether there is a neoplasm present, it doesn't tell which type, and without other signs, such as bloodwork values or a wider range of lymph nodes (especially the many that are easily palpable aorund the body enlarged), I don't think that you can tell which ones are lympho and which ones are other condition. You may make a mistake in giving chemo for lymphoma, when you are actually dealing with a more treatable tumor that does not respond to the meds for lympho. The best next step in this case would be to schedule a surgery, remove the mass, and have it sent to a pathologist to determine precisely what type of tumor it is, and what the best therapy would be. With kindest regards, Bruce Williams, dVM [Posted in FML issue 3303]