Just a quick point about ultrasounds or Tennessee Panel with possible adrenal growths: they usually are not needed, but they can be useful if a situation is too unclear. We have used them in such situations. Now, the following is just supposition time so bring out that boulder of salt: we personally here have low rates of adrenal growths and of any form of pancreatic growth. I have wondered for some time if the large amount of complete darkness we make available for our ferrets (and the melatonin their bodies make as a result) may also be good for pancreatic health. Certainly, an increasing amount of current research shows melatonin having anti-tumor properties (For examples that are comfy reads look in the January FMLs, and also go to the Science News website and look up the marvelous article "Bright Lights, Big Cancer".), and a lot of new info on the hormonal interactions of the pancreas are being found, for instance, the estradiol receptors there that were only recently discovered. A few of the related abstracts from last year: 1. Blask, D.E., G.C. Brainard, et al. 2005. Melatonin-depleted blood from premenopausal women exposed to light at night stimulates growth of human breast cancer xenografts in nude rats. Cancer Research 65 (Dec. 1):11174-11184. Abstract available at http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/23/11174. 2. Schernhammer, E.S., and S.E. Hankinson. 2005. Urinary melatonin levels and breast cancer risk. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 97(July 20):1084-1087. Abstract available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jnci/dji190. 3. Schernhammer, E.S., et al. In press. Urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels and their correlations with lifestyle factors and steroid hormone levels. Journal of Pineal Research. Abstract available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2005.00285.x. 4. Verkasalo, P.K. . . . R.G. Stevens, et al. 2005. Sleep duration and breast cancer: A prospective cohort study. Cancer Research 65 (Oct. 15):9595-9600. Abstract available at http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/20/9595. The funny thing is that I was putting together a few adrenal highlights for a friend yesterday so here they are. Please, DO note that the website with these two articles not only has more adrenal articles but it also has insulinoma ones. Here are some of the highlights: Lysodren typically no longer used; it tends to often not work and when it does work it can work too extremely and cause Addisons Crisis. Effectiveness of any type of surgical technique depends mostly on skills of the surgeon We still get readers who think that age rather than health determines whether any type of surgery can happen Also still get some readers who do not do pre-op testing. Some can't for economic reasons (esp. shelters) but it is usually a very good idea to do it. (By that I meant CBC with Chemistry Panel, heart imaging for older ones, etc. -- ways to avoid trouble.) Current meds: Lupron depot, melatonin, deslorelin/Suprelorin depot. The last is not yet available in the U.S. except on an experimental basis but is likley to become available in not many years. All three have multiple supportive research articles and more research is on- going. An intriguing question (concern) about using the first and third for prevention has recently been posed on the FHL and can be found: http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG16513 There have been queries whether a technique which is used to kill tumors in humans and some tumors in cats would work on ferret R adrenals and if so how it could be safely administered but I can find no one actually researching it: Percutaneous ethanol The concept that too much light exposure combined with having been neutered is at the root of many adrenal growths is more and more supported by existing research, but not all steps in the hypothesis have yet been proven (which still is a lot better than the hypothesis that too many carbohydrates in the diet cause insulinoma which still lacks any proof and recently perhaps took a literature hit because the premise begins with past research projects that too much dietary carbohydrate causes diabetes (not a typo) but in older women (human) that premise was recently found to not hold in women 50 to 75 years old) (BTW, the most recent article on the topic by the originator of the insulinoma premise can be found in JEMM&S, volume 2.2, Dec 2004, By Dr Mark Finkler). Here are some excellent adrenal resources -- which are CURRENT -- and there are more: http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/adrenal.htm http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/melatonin.htm I'll drop my signature on this one or it will be too long to post. (not a vet :-) ) [Posted in FML issue 5164]