Okay folks, bear with me, this will be a long post. Upfront: Oliver seems pretty great.

He will start chemotherapy on Thursday. The follow up tests showed that the has a genetic cell mutation (a c-kit PCR mutation assay was done and they found this mutation in locale 8. Typically, the mutation is found in locale 11, so this was also an anomaly). They have graded it a 2 out of 3, because cancerous cells were found in the lymph node that was next to the tumor in his leg, indicating early metastasis. The oncologist says that it could be entirely local, but obviously, since they cannot biopsy his other lymph nodes, there is no way of knowing for sure.

The good part of the bad news is that because it is a genetic mutation, they can do targeted chemotherapy. He will be on Palldia 3 times a week for 6 months. This drug is FDA approved and specifically targets the cell mutation. Our oncologist is also putting him on a course of prednisone as a conservative therapy to zap any cancer cells that could potentially be lingering. He will be on 20 mg. for the first 2 weeks and then taper down to 10 mg. for another two weeks. He will go in for blood work every 2 weeks for the first month, and then once a month for the following 5 months of treatment. Afterward, they will examine his internal lymph nodes using an ultrasound and determine whether he needs to continue the treatment, stop the treatment, or they need to add another drug.

His tumor was subcutaneous, too. So they know less about how these tumors act than they know about cutaneous ones. However, I read online that the prognosis is usually better for subcutaneous (i.e. less like to recur).

Also, I remember someone mentioned immune problems with chemotherapy. Our oncologist said that this drug and the targeted nature of it has not been associated with any immune issues (great news), but we will know well before we go on our honeymoon whether that's the case.

He is such a little trooper!! I will post a video tomorrow of him playing with a toy for the first time this past weekend. Little rascal still gets super pumped to get to the vet hospital. One of the techs even came up to him and he was so excited to see her. She said she slept in his cage after his second surgery because he couldn't get comfortable lol. They're like his extended family now... Just like you all! 

hester said
Some pretty good news there overall.  

Palladia has shown to be particularly effective for MST chemo for the reasons you outlined.  Also, though perhaps less impressively, has been effective for fighting STS (which is Pofi's cancer).  Seems to create a sort of 'stasis' per our oncologist (who we see again tomorrow).  Pofi has been on the Palladia 3 x per week protocol for one month.  He has tolerated it well - but I have also been giving him a Pepcid AC about 1/2 hour before giving him the Palladia out of an abundance of caution.

We are getting our first post Palladia bloodwork tomorrow.

Okay - onward Team Ollie!!  

How'd Pofi's check up go?