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Nerve Sheath Tumor - Brachial Plexus
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Member Since:
28 October 2014
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29 October 2014 - 9:48 pm
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Hello - I posted in another topic, but would like to get some advice here as well.  Not sure if I'm supposed to do that...

My beautiful Goldendoodle Zoe is 7 years old and was diagnosed with a Malignant Nerve Sheath Tumour on her Brachial Plexus.  She went through an amputation 4 months ago. 

Since amputation she would get periodic nerve pain, which I chalked up to being Phantom Pain .  It was only happening once every three weeks or so. 

The last week it's been happening more frequently.  As much as twice/day. 

I'm panicking - presuming it's the cancer.  I don't know if we got clean margins from her surgery - I didn't want to find out the results. 

I guess I'm not sure what prognosis is...what can I do...should I start her on Gabapentin again? 

Probably doesn't matter what it's "called" - it's still some sort of nerve pain - and it's getting worse.  And I hate seeing her in pain. 

I would love to speak with other Nerve Sheath parents who have done an amputation and had the cancer return - what happened?  How did your dog deteriorate? 

I just don't know what to expect and I'm a nervous wreck. 

Thank you.

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Virginia
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26 January 2014
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30 October 2014 - 4:42 am
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I hope I can be of some help, I am unaware of anyone else on here who battled a NST, I am hoping someone else may chime in too. NSTs are a type of mass cell tumor but they present differently. My Jake had the exact same thing as your Zoe, a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor and the "fingers" of it had reached really far down his leg and thru his shoulder. He actually had it for 4 years (it was misdiagnosed by our vet as a fatty tumor that she didn't feel was posing an issue). The good news is that they are locally invasive, and the key is removing it with good margins. I'm guessing by your post that your vet didn't tell you whether they got good margins? When they removed Jakes, the surgeon said the chest wall is a good barrier and so he removed everything from the chest wall out. You can feel Zoe's amp, does it feel like its pretty concave? This is what Jake's looked like a couple days after surgery but they had to removed ALOT of his shoulder b/c of how much it had invaded. You can see the concave part, that's his chest wall. 

 

I know you didn't get the results but for NST's usually anything a grade 2 or under has a great possibility of not returning. Jake's was a grade 4 but he was NST cancer free for 9 months. He developed a 2nd cancer, a hemangiosarcoma, that the oncologist said was completely unrelated to the NST and that it is really rare to have these two forms together. He kicked the NST's butt. 

When did Zoe stop Gabapentin? We had Jake on it all 9 months because of phantom limb pain. The way the vet described it was that when they cut the nerves, they still function. They try to fire off but can't go anywhere. That sounds like what Zoe might be experiencing, and it can last indefinitely to my understanding. I would give your vet a call, they can do a feel around the amputation to see if the NST is starting to grow back and see about putting her on Gabapentin again. Especially with this type of tumor since it affects the nerve's specifically. If it does come back (which they are known to do without clean margins), just try to remember that they don't tend to metastasize. 

Please feel free to PM me anytime. I don't always check the threads but it'll send me an email if I have a message in my inbox. 

Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”  

      

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On The Road


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30 October 2014 - 9:49 am
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Elizabeth thanks for responding!

Zoe and family, I posted a response in your first posting.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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Virginia



Member Since:
22 February 2013
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30 October 2014 - 10:51 am
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You da' bomb Elizabeth!!! Great info! That sweet Jake just continues to touch lives and offer hope! Jake, your da' bomb too!!!

DOODLEDOG , you hand in there, okay? And mom...B R E A T H E....B R E A T H E! Al@ ks well with Doodle Dog!

Hugs!

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle

Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!

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