>The vet told me with surgery he could live 6mo-2yrs; without, 1 year. >If this were a cure for insulinoma, I'd be more likely to take the >chance. But we all know it is not a cure. And he'll end up just as >he is now--back on meds and not doing so well. Back when Dr. Hanan Caine (the best veterinary surgeon Steve or I have ever known in our lives) was still in New Jersey we had a couple of ferrets whose insulinoma was spotted very early and surgery done early, with very careful use of the surgical microscope and touch to remove every little sand-grain like insulinoma. It WAS curative. Notice this expert post which was based on carefully collected data: http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG8153 >Here is the way that I usually approach this issue. Yes, 40% of >insulinomas recur in about 10 months or so. However that leaves >about a 60% cure rate. > >Now if we assume that one month in a ferret's life equals about one >year in a human's life, let's make an analogy with you (nothing like >getting personal). If someone told you that you had a tumor, and >removing it surgically would ensure you a minimum of six years tumor- >free life, more likely ten years, and there would be a 60% chance >that you would never be bothered by it again, what would YOU do? > >Additionally, when combined with partial pancreatectomy, the average >tumor-free interval jumps to about 12 months (published paper I wrote >with Charlie Weiss years ago in JAAHA.) > >With kindest regards, > >Bruce Williams, DVM I don't know how the myth that insulinoma surgery can't cure began but we HAVE seen it cure. Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html [Posted in FML 5758]