[3-part post combined] Expert quotes carried to the FHL and relates to a question asked on the FHL: Re: Leiomyosarcoma Different malignancies do behave differently, and the categories of tumors even behave differently in different animals so it is impossible to generalize from one type to another and at times impossible to generalize from one species to another. Even location can matter, for example dermal mast cell tumors in ferrets are very different from ones deep inside the abdomen. BEGIN QUOTED ABSTRACTS AND LINKS TO FULL TEXT WHEN AVAILABLE J Vet Diagn Invest. 2002 May;14(3):262-5. Links Solitary dermal leiomyosarcomas in 12 ferrets. Mikaelian I, Garner MM. IDEXX Veterinary Services, West Sacramento, CA 95625, USA. Twelve 3-6-year-old ferrets (8 males, 3 females, 1 unknown) were presented with single cutaneous nodules. These dermal tumors were characterized histologically by nodular proliferation of neoplastic smooth muscle fibers with marked anisokaryosis and a mitotic rate of >2 mitoses per 10 high-power fields. Neoplastic cells stained strongly for vimentin in all tumors and for smooth muscle actin and desmin in all but 1 tumor. Histologic and immunohistochemical findings suggested a diagnosis of piloleiomyosarcoma for these tumors. Excision was curative in all animals available for follow-up. However, 3 of 5 animals developed adrenal disease within 7 months after removal of the dermal leiomyosarcoma. Full text: http://www.jvdi.org/cgi/reprint/14/3/262 Vet Pathol. 2001 Nov;38(6):710-1. Links Piloleiomyosarcoma in seven ferrets. Rickman BH, Craig LE, Goldschmidt MH. In each of seven ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) with leiomyosarcoma, a single dermal mass was identified and biopsied. Each mass consisted of a well- demarcated but nonencapsulated proliferation of large spindle- to strap-shaped cells arranged in interwoven bundles. The cells resembled the smooth muscle cells of the adjacent arrector pili muscles, but with marked nuclear pleomorphism. Immunohistochemical staining for smooth muscle actin, desmin, and vimentin was positive and staining for myoglobin and cytokeratin was negative. Follow-up on three of the ferrets indicates that the prognosis is good following complete surgical excision. full text: http://www.vetpathology.org/cgi/content/full/38/6/710 Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci. 2001 Jan;40(1):43-4.Links Unusual immunophenotype of a soft tissue sarcoma in a European polecat (Mustela putorius). Zaias J, Kornegay RW, Altman NH, Herron AJ. University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Division of Comparative Pathology, 1550 NW 10th Avenue, Room 105, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA. The most commonly reported tumors in ferrets are carcinomas, followed by round cell tumors. Soft tissue sarcomas are reported and characterized much less frequently. Because domesticated ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) are direct descendants of European polecats (Mustela putorius), the types and prevalence of tumors are expected to be similar in the two species. Presented here is a case report of unusual immunohistochemical staining characteristics of an abdominal wall leiomyosarcoma in a close relative of domestic ferrets, the European polecat. Sections of tissue were preserved in 10% buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned at 5 mm. Routine staining with hematoxylin and eosin and several immunohistochemical tests were performed to identify the tumor tissue of origin. Although the tumor did not stain with antibody to desmin, further staining for smooth muscle actin was consistent with a smooth muscle origin. To the authors' knowledge, this report is the first description of a leiomyosarcoma in the European polecat. This report emphasizes the importance of using additional secondary markers to accurately diagnose anaplastic tumors. Lab Anim Sci. 1990 Mar;40(2):208-10.Links Leiomyosarcoma in a domestic ferret: morphologic and immunocytochemical diagnosis. Brunnert SR, Herron AJ, Altman NH. Department of Pathology, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL. [No abstract] J Comp Pathol. 1989 Feb;100(2):161-76. Links Neoplasia in ferrets: eleven cases with a review. Dillberger JE, Altman NH. Department of Toxicology, Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana 46268-0470. Records from a veterinary diagnostic laboratory in south Florida, U.S.A. were reviewed for cases of neoplasia in pet ferrets. Twelve ferret tumours were received over a four-year period; one case, a ferret with lymphocytic leukaemia and multi-organ involvement, had been reported previously. The other eleven tumours were: two chordomas of the tail, two sebaceous adenomas of the skin, a sebaceous epithelioma of the skin, a cutaneous mastocytoma, a malignant fibrous histiocytoma from the eyelid, a malignant mesenchymoma and an undifferentiated sarcoma from the dorsal abdominal cavity, a leiomyosarcoma found unattached in the abdominal cavity and an interstitial cell tumour of the testicle. A review of the literature yielded reports of 83 other tumours in domestic ferrets, black-footed ferrets and European polecats. Of the 95 ferret tumours, 46 were considered malignant. Tumours occurred in all organ systems except the respiratory tract and central nervous system. Affected ferrets ranged in age from 209 days to 12 years. The most frequently occurring tumours were ovarian stromal tumours (24 of 95), haemangiomas/haemangio-sarcomas (15 of 95). This information indicates that, contrary to previous opinion, ferrets appear to be subject to a similar incidence and variety of tumours as other animals. END ABSTRACTS THE FHL ARCHIVES (not just what is on Yahoogroups but the link from the home page of the FHL) IS A TREASURE CHEST! From that: http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG7492 BEGIN QUOTE of ferret veterinary pathology expert, Dr. Bruce Williams Dear Julie - you are correct in that leiomyosarcomas are malignancies of smooth muscle. These are occasionally seen in the endocrine, gastrointestinal, and reproductive organs, and the adrenal gland is probably the most common site overall. These tumors are not responsible for the adrenal igns which you noticed, but they may occur coincidentally with a functional adrenocortical tumor. And, due to their often fiarly large size, they may often be the only tumor seen when the adrenal is sectioned, althouh there may be another tumor in their causing the signs. Or, as occasionally happens, the vet's attention is drawn to these large, non-functional tumors, and they may miss the functional adrenal tumor on the other adrenal. The good news is that these neoplasms, although they are technically malignant, really do not metastasize or result in life-threatening illness. Surgical excision should be considered curative. With kindest regards, Bruce Williams, DVM END QUOTE 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 Personal Note: Tomorrow I will go in for glaucoma surgery on my better eye so if it is like last time the other moderators will have their hands full and people may need to look things up for themselves and others. Here are some resources to use for your start and there are more with links to those in my links page and in the links section of the FHL http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/links http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html I'll probably be off line for a few days and then only only for little bits that gradually increase over a space of 2 weeks. [Posted in FML 5963]