Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Im really sorry if this is a silly question, but I was told that if a dog has OSA (in for example the leg bone) and it metastasis's to the lungs, it is still OSA even though it is on the lungs, not lung cancer as lung cancer is a diffrent type of cancer.
Would love your opion,
Thanks as always, you guys are amazing!
Angel Porthos, Pyrenean Mastiff, 7 years old Os front right leg, DX 18 May 2012, Amputation 14 June 2012, Hip Dysplasia, Two TPLO surgeries. Is now somewhere over the rainbow, 21 November 2013.
I'm no expert by any means, but I've been going through a lot of testing with my dog and will be interested in seeing what other's have to say. Here is my impression/interpretation. Lung mets would be lung masses that have metastasized from a different, primary source. It's still cancer. But I think when they say lung cancer, they would be referring to primary lung cancer which is usually just one mass that started in the lungs. I guess that is not very common. In the case of my dog, he has two masses -- one on each lung so if this is cancer (we don't know for sure yet) it would indicate the cancer metastasized from another part of the body but he did not have Osteosarcoma or soft tissue sarcoma that could have metastasized so where did the masses come from. I'll be following this post.
Harley is an 8 year old Golden Retriever. Amp surgery for an infiltrative lipoma canceled due to two masses in chest. A rescue, he found his forever home on 3/18/07 and left for his eternal home on 1/09/13. His story and medical history are at http://myharley.....pawds.com/
Each different cancer has a different fingerprint if you will. My Spencer had Fibrosarcoma. It started on his shoulder and led to the amputation. He ended up with lung mets after 3-4 months. So then he had Fibrosarcoma and it had moved to his lungs.
The dog I had before Spencer was Baron. Baron had lung cancer. It started in his lungs (and actually that is the only place he had it, though it took over more and more of his lungs - we had to have him put to sleep 10 months after first finding it). For Baron we actually never got a successful biopsy - we tried to get a sample from aspirating; but even though they used ultrasound to direct the needle, they didn't get a good sample. We had first found it after he had a hard time coming out of anesthesia from having a fatty tumor removed, I wasn't willing to have him go under anesthesia again as I had thought he was going to die the first time. (for the aspiration he was so awesome that he let them do it with him fully awake - they were amazed.)
Many of the folks on here are dealing with osteosarcoma - bone cancer - it also seems to tend to move to the lungs.
In people, sometimes people get say... breast cancer. And maybe it spreads to another part of their body. But it is still breast cancer.
And each type of cancer has a different type of treatment that is most effective. Spencer was on a different type of chemo than most of the dogs on here because he had a different type of cancer. Even once he had the lung mets, (according to our oncologist) the chemos most effective for HIS lung mets were different than what is most effective for lung mets caused by osteosarcoma. Or actual lung cancer.
Does that make sense?
Jac and Angel Spencer. Spencer was 5.25 years old. He fought a grade 3 fibrosarcoma, started on his shoulder. Left front leg amputated in August 2011. 15 weeks of chemo finished 12/22/11 (mytox and adria). Lung mets found on x-rays 12/28/11. Started carboplatin 1/6/12. Went to Heaven on 2/27/12. I miss him like crazy every day. See his blog here: http://spencer.tripawds.com/
Thanks for clarifying that,
I had a chat with my vet about Porthos going on to Metacam because I heard it 'may' help to shrink tumors (in case some tumors are lurking in Porthos somewhere) she said that she didnt think Metacam had been shown to reduce OSA tumors only other types of cancer, but it cant hurt to try it.
Angel Porthos, Pyrenean Mastiff, 7 years old Os front right leg, DX 18 May 2012, Amputation 14 June 2012, Hip Dysplasia, Two TPLO surgeries. Is now somewhere over the rainbow, 21 November 2013.
I too am neither a vet but it is my understanding that in the case of osteosarcoma, lung metastasis is the same type of cancer as the original OSA tumor.
When talking about NSAIDs like Metacam with your vet, you might want to familiiarize him/her with Metronomic Therapy. This therapeutic, low-dose, at-home chemotherapy regimen uses three things that have been clinically shown to prevent, shrink and stabilize OSA tumors that have spread to the lungs: NSAIDs, doxycycline and cytoxan, a chemotherapy agent. Some vets are also introducing Palladia and fish oil, which are also being shown to reduce incidence of tumors. New ways of administering it are being studied and recommended all the time. It worked for me, and stabilized my lung tumors for an additional 7 months after two large ones were discovered.
Metronomic Therapy is a relatively new concept to a lot of vets but oncologists have been using it for years. Here is a good forum topic with lots of info from vets who know:
"Metronomic Therapy for Canine Osteosarcoma: Jerry's Experience
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Oh, sorry. Just realized this was in "ask a vet". oops. I'm not a vet. 😉 I couldn't figure out how to edit my last reply. I'm just someone who has had several pets get cancer (2 dogs and a cat).
Jac and Angel Spencer. Spencer was 5.25 years old. He fought a grade 3 fibrosarcoma, started on his shoulder. Left front leg amputated in August 2011. 15 weeks of chemo finished 12/22/11 (mytox and adria). Lung mets found on x-rays 12/28/11. Started carboplatin 1/6/12. Went to Heaven on 2/27/12. I miss him like crazy every day. See his blog here: http://spencer.tripawds.com/
Hi Justjac, I apreciate advice from anyone who has walked this path!
Hi Jerry, thanks for the link, I am considering metronomic therapy for Porthos as we have decided against Chemo IV at this time. Not sure if we should start it straight away (we are also doing Artimisnin) or wait a little while.
Amanda
Angel Porthos, Pyrenean Mastiff, 7 years old Os front right leg, DX 18 May 2012, Amputation 14 June 2012, Hip Dysplasia, Two TPLO surgeries. Is now somewhere over the rainbow, 21 November 2013.
That's a question for the onco doc but I usually see most people get on it sooner rather than later. Good luck. Let us know what your vet says.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
It is true that lung cancer just means a malignancy involving lung tissue. It is subdivided into primary lung tumors which originate in the lung (usually adenocarcinoma) and secondary tumors which have metastasized form another location (such as OSA). Metastatic cancer is much more common.
By the way I would agree that if you are not doing injectable chemo then I would look into metronomic chemo using either meloxicam (Metacam) or piroxicam as an NSAID that may help delay metastasis. Most oncologists will combine this with an oral drug such as cyclophosphamide.
Pam
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