>My question here (for any DVMs/surgeons) is does anyone have experience >with thymomas? More specifically thymomas in older ferrets, and what >kind of risk factor is Sherlock's age? Are there any other options >besides surgery? I've tried to research this as much as possible but >have found little on the subject that's helpful. Unfortunately, there's very little information on thymomas. I've seen one, and I think only one report has ever been published (with only two cases reported.) These tumors do not respond well to non-surgical interventions, such as chemo or radiation. They are generally slow growing, so they respond relatively well to surgery. In a case of a 10 year old ferret, you would have to look at the overall health of the animal, as well as the possibility for a significant increase in life-span in the case of a successful surgery (which is probably a long-shot at best.) With kindest regards, Bruce Williams, DVM [Posted in FML issue 3811]