# Subcutaneous Mast Cell Cancer



## goldenSkye1 (Oct 9, 2014)

Hi everyone. It has been ages since I last posted. Skye is 3 now and will be 4 in December.

About 2 months ago I noticed a lump right on top of Skye's left wrist joint. I took her to the vet that week, where I was assured it didn't seem like a tumor, especially because Skye was acting like she had no pain from it. First, we thought maybe she's just torn something, so we put her on a week of meloxicam. All that did was give her a bleeding ulcer. Then, we had x-rays done, and the vet thought he saw a chip fracture. So we let her rest a week or so, but still no change. Finally, my vet sent the x-rays to an orthopedic doctor, and a week or so later the doctor suggested a biopsy due to characteristics of a bone cyst. The biopsy was done (it was a pretty serious biopsy because it was an actual surgery- not an aspiration), and I got the results today. The tumor is a subcutaneous mast cell tumor, which is a malignant type. I am so upset. The vet said that as of when the sample was taken (last week), the cancer seems to be mildly aggressive, but had potential for infiltration. So, tomorrow Skye is having a lymph node biopsy. Best case scenario is that the lymph nodes are clear and we can treat her- which would mean her left front leg will be amputated. I am so freaked out, though, because if it's in her lymph nodes... there's really just nothing to be done.

I wish I could type more, but words are surpassing me. I can't even think straight. Has anyone had experience with this before? It is my understanding that cutaneous mast cell tumors aren't rare but that subcutaneous ones (the type Skye has) are seen less often.

Any experience with a 3 year-old active dog having a leg amputated?

Please, anything will help me feel better.

Thanks.


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## Yaichi's Mom (Jul 21, 2012)

I am so sorry that you have this frightening diagnosis for your young girl. Have they confirmed the grade of the mast cell? 

I have not had personal experience with this, however if I were in your shoes I would get a second opinion relative to treatment options, preferably by a holistic or homeopathic DVM.

Mast Cell Tumors - Charles Loops, DVM

These homeopathic DVMs will do consults over the phone. You may want to consider doing this to get other options for treatment.

https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/Homeopathic%20Vet%20List.pdf?token=AWxV0F1UWmA6GVpvBz2vDsZEzx9UZz-ehuyJ-yRVwUNbzRTZPcYsD2NSjXnL4hDsQRe0opru8KvamuHtEPI8gBbn9pNQHA8i1GrnX0QVXONQFChF5TL9kJqVih3N2X_PPCpar2_YLP9HQOmCGP0I7lVmzYTFIgHCueZk4IsQuv0GgA

You will need to log in to Facebook to view the above link.

Or, perhaps you can find someone you are able to consult here:

http://www.drpitcairn.com/referrals/anhc-referrals/#VA

Thinking of you today and wishing you good news and best of results.


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## Jessie'sGirl (Aug 30, 2010)

No advise, just so sorry to see you and Skye with such a diagnosis. Take your time and get all the information you can before making any treatment decisions. Hugs to you both.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

Grade 1, 2 or 3? High grade or low grade? Mast cell tumors, if they are a high grade are not fun tumors to deal with. Being very aggressive with treatment is ideal. Remember, a chance to cut is a chance to cure. If she doesn't that the mast cells have spread anywhere else, I would opt for an aggressive surgery, possibly with an amputation. You may have to follow up with radiation and/or chemo depending, again on the grade. I'd be happy to talk more about mast cell tumors, but we don't have very many answers from what you've posted thus far. Staging her is the next best thing right now with a lymph node biopsy, abdominal xrays, abdominal ultrasound, possible aspirates of the liver and spleen and chest xrays.


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## Yaichi's Mom (Jul 21, 2012)

Thank you Rainheart for you expertise input.

What I will say is that I would search high and low for alternatives before I would ever let a limb be amputated from my companion, especially with such a young dog. 

What you write above is the mainstream allopathic approach to "treatment". There are others, both with no guarantee of success.

GoldlenSkye1, if i were in your shoes, I would contact Ketopet ( not allowed to post a link here), who have been doing some great work in cancer in dogs, reversing many cancers etc., to hear what has been successful for them relative to diet and other modalities.... and researching what other modalities of treatment with holistic/homeopathic practitioners you have for your baby Skye, before totally possibly inundating her body with more carcinogens ( chemo, radiation) and further compromising her immune system and amputating her leg, which in homeopathic modality can/will shift the origin of the expression of disease elsewhere. 

My thoughts and prayers are with you both...hoping for some better news after the procedure today.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I'm sorry for your heartache. I am pulling for you and Skye.


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## goldenSkye1 (Oct 9, 2014)

Thank you all very much! I will try to answer the questions you've asked! From what I've been told by the vet and from what I have read in medical journals about this cancer, there is no formal grade or stage assigned to it. Cutaneous mast cell cancer has grades and stages, but apparently neither stages nor grades have been established for the subcutaneous mast cell cancer. So, there is no grade or stage diagnosis of the cancer; however, after reading the journals and discussing the pathology report with the vet, it is clear that if it were "graded" it would most likely be low. The things that point to the cancer being high grade (high rate of mitosis, unclear membrane borders) are not present in Skye's tumor, as of yet. Apparently, in subcutaneous mast cell cancer, the prognosis seems to be much better if the mitosis count is less than 5, and Skye's tumor has 1. So that is great news! The issue that has come up is that the best way to get rid of this cancer (at least the less aggressive type, which is what hers appears to be) is to do a complete excision of the tumor with wide margins, ensuring that all the tissue that was cancerous is removed, plus a lot of the tissue around it and below it. Skye's tumor is right on top of her bone, though, and it has already started creating bony changes in her x-rays. So, excision with wide margins is pretty much impossible now, since her bone is in the way and possibly has cancer cells in it. 

The doctor mentioned yesterday (she got her lymph node biopsied) that we might be able to try excising the tumor then putting Skye on a chemotherapy medicine for mast cell tumors called Palladia. The problem here is that we both agree that this might just prolong the inevitable... meaning it might not truly work and we might still end up having to amputate her leg. I haven't had a chance to look up homeopathic medicines or treatments yet, and I will, but first I have to consider the fact that I am not sure I can trust that they will work. Yes, Skye is too young to lose her leg, but she's also to young to die. I'm just not sure I want to take a gamble on her life by trying alternative medicine that might work yet also might not. It probably wouldn't hurt, so I'll discuss the timeline with the vet, and if it seems like the chemotherapy or amputation isn't urgent, I'll definitely seek out alternative therapies in the meantime to see if they could help.

I think the vet will end up amputating her leg. I have come to as much peace as I can have with this possibility because Skye, apparently, is a good candidate for amputation, says the vet. I would have to agree. She's spunky, silly, and I am guessing she won't even realize it's gone a month later. I also do not think I want to make my poor puppy go through chemo, if I can help it. Still, just know this decision is NOT being taken lightly and I am considering each of your responses!! Thank you sooooo much for the comfort and ideas about what to do. I feel much less alone in this. I love this forum.


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## joro32000 (Feb 25, 2017)

I have a lab with MCT. Not sure if it is cutaneous or subcutaneous tumor. In the description from pathologist, it says subcutaneous mass, but there is a grading there also. She was grade 2 Patnaic (80% of MCT belong to this grade). On a Kiupel scale graded only on a 2 tier system she was a high grade with median survival time for high grade on this scale less than 4 months. Her mitotic rate was 15 (very high) with median survival time for mitotic rate > 5 at 5 months. Her tumor was located in the bone cheek close to the eye. After the first surgery the tumor reappeared within 2 weeks, almost in the same spot. Then another surgery and the tumor came back within the week. After one more surgery, the tumor didn’t come back. It has been more than a year and all looks good as of now. 
Amputation sounds like a drastic measure, but I guess since Skye is so young the vet will want to make absolutely sure the tumor does not come back. I would also look for a second opinion. Hugs and kisses to Skye.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

goldenSkye1 said:


> .... Skye is too young to lose her leg, but she's also to young to die. I'm just not sure I want to take a gamble on her life by trying alternative medicine that might work yet also might not. ...
> I think the vet will end up amputating her leg. I have come to as much peace as I can have with this possibility because Skye, apparently, is a good candidate for amputation, says the vet. I would have to agree. ..



I debated speaking up, I didn't want to be a negative here, but I sort of decided I wanted to encourage you to be aggressive.

One of my oldest and dearest friends had her beloved 2 1/2 year old boxer diagnosed end of January: stage 3 MCT on her back. Once removed they found it had a mitotic index of 27. They did 3 rounds of chemo and unfortunately had to stop because her liver was reacting badly (she was supposed to be treated for a year). Sadly on Saturday this week she stopped eating and the decision was made to end things on Monday because her platelet counts were dropping and liver function was not improving. The cancer had returned last month and she was not getting better. They are devastated. 

I know that their Lucy is not the same situation as your Skye, Lucy was caught later with worse numbers, I was never optimistic. But I do know that if they had the option of maybe saving her life with an amputation, they wouldn't hesitate. I have met more than one dog in my life with 3 legs, multiple dogs. I always do a double take because they are moving so well that you don't realize at first they are a tripod..... I know this will be hard on you and her at first if you choose to go this route. I just wanted to encourage you to be as aggressive as your doctor encourages. I'm thinking of you.


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