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3 Year Old Golden with "Likely" Cancer

7K views 34 replies 25 participants last post by  Piper_the_goldenpuppy 
#1 ·
Let me start by first saying "thank you". This site has been such a wealth of information when we need it most. 3 weeks ago, our beautiful 3 year old golden Grace stared to show signs of lethargy and a lack of appetite. Concerned we took her to the family vet where they identified a mass near her abdomen. It was recommended to proceed with an ultrasound and an aspirate and so we did so at our local animal hospital. The aspirate however produced poor cells and so a game-time decision was made to proceed with a tissue biopsy. Unfortunately, despite a week of tests with the tissue samples, the cytologist was only able to find necrosis, atypical mesenchymal cells and inflamation. Chest X-Rays showed an area of potential abnormality but those too were inconclusive. Tick diseases were ruled out and her blood work for all intents and purposes appears normal. So, we moved on to a large teaching hospital in our state and spoke with an oncologist who recommended that we first run some panels for fungal infections just in case, but then to proceed with a CT scan to a) help the surgeon should we go that route and b) get a better sense if this mass has metastasized. And that is where we are at...lost, frustrated, worried and obsessively reading all that we can on all the different types of cancer and possible treatments.

We have what could be the longest list of questions, but wanted to see if any other golden owners have experienced anything similar? How does one proceed with so little information? For example, if the only way to determine what it is would be to remove it but how/if you remove it depends on exactly what type of cancer it is (some are extremely aggressive and don't respond to chemo whereas others are practically curable if you get a wide enough margin during surgery) than you are in a bit of a catch-22.

We also were curious, should it come to it, if anyone has any personal experience with immunotherapy treatments such as ImmuneFX (http://www.morphogenesis-inc.com/)? Again, everything would work better if we knew exactly what we were dealing with, but ImmuneFX requires the harvesting of cancer cells from the mass. We weren't sure how that is done if they also need the mass to biopsy and identify the type/stage of the cancer? Do these treatments help as much as the marketing suggests?

If you have anything to share we would be so so so grateful. This whole thing came out of left field and all of us are struggling to come to terms with the situation we are facing.

And please keep Grace in your thoughts!!!

Thank you so much!
JM
 
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#2 ·
3 Year Old Golden with "Likely" Cancer

I'm so sorry for this scary news and will be praying that it isn't cancer for Grace. My best advice is to trust your veterinarians. Remember, they have trained their entire careers to take care of animals. They have a vast understanding of the science and literature to help make the best decisions. Trust in them, and this experience will be so much less stressful for you. It doesn't matter how much you read, you won't even come close to their fund of knowledge. Spend your time cuddling Grace. Write down questions when you think of them. Make sure you understand what the vets are telling you and don't be afraid to ask for clarifications or advice. That's what they do every day. If you are given the toughest decisions about surgery/chemo, etc, my advice is to ask about and weigh the importance of quality of life vs. quantity. Hugs to Grace!!


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#6 ·
I'm so sorry - and so glad that you were proactive and got right on this aggressively. I am wondering if you are waiting on test results for fungal issue? Has that been ruled out? An oncologist at a teaching hospital is going to be a big help if you trust him/her. In what area of the country are you located?
 
#8 ·
Thank you all for your support, thoughts and prayers. It really means a lot to us. The challenge for us is how quickly things will move later in the week when we do the CT scan/surgery. They suggested doing them together so that she doesn't have to go through anesthesia twice. So based on the CT scan we will have to make a quick decision whether to go forward with the surgery. Thus far we have been blown away by the collaboration among the vets at the hospital and we are sure they will guide us the best they can, but we are definitely nervous about making that decision (especially without having all the pieces in place).

We did bring up the immunotherapy with the vet and they are in the process of looking into it, but didn't have experience with it per se. Again, we aren't sure if it is just too new or if it hasn't had the results people hoped for. All of this could be put off if it weren't for the requirement that they have to harvest cancer cells to send to the company to formulate the drug.

Such a horrible awful disease!!!

In the meantime we are just loving her up as much as we can. She is being treated like the queen of the house and seems confused by all the extra attention...but is not complaining. We are truly letting every moment linger. The happiness we feel by seeing that tail wag (even if at a much slower pace) is simply not describable in words.

We will keep you posted and thanks again for the support and advice!
 
#9 ·
Keeping sweet Grace in my thoughts as well.

It sounds like the hospital you are dealing with will be able to guide you some. I hope her prognosis is good and that the way to treat becomes clear after this week. Fingers crossed for you all.
 
#10 ·
Prayers for Grace and your family!
 
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#12 ·
#13 ·
I'm so sorry you're going through this and prayers for Grace that this is not cancer. It sounds like you're working with very helpful experts and agree with writing down your questions as you think of them so that you can remember when you are talking with the vet.
 
#15 ·
So, the fungal tests all came back negative :frown2: That was a long shot, but we are hanging on to whatever hope we can these days. Tomorrow is the big day, with a CT potentially followed by surgery. Grace has not been eating well at all. Despite the appetite stimulant, she just doesn't seem to want to eat. We have been going the boiled chicken route but even that has failed these last couple of days. One small success this morning is that we were able to get her to drink some chicken broth with her water. So hard to see her so weak and thin. It's 180 degrees from where she was just a month ago. The vet thinks that the removal of the mass will be therapeutic for her and we are hoping that it at least brings back her appetite. She is constantly seeking reassurance as though she knows something isn't quite right. So heart breaking. Please keep her in your thoughts. Tomorrow is going to be a challenging day.
 
#20 ·
Gutted. We made it as far as the CT scan only to find out that what appeared as a single mass in the ultrasound/xrays was in fact 3 massively enlarged lymph nodes and her chest was now showing two enlarged lymph nodes. No easy choices from here. It is just so incredibly sad that such a gorgeous breed has these problems. 3 is far too young!!! It's just not right. :frown2:

Anyhow, I am sure tonight will be an emotional night as we have to explain all of this to our young children. I did however want to leave you with a picture of our sweet girl. She has so many endearing qualities but if I had to pick out one that makes her stand out, its that she never touched any of the kids toys. We warned them repeatedly that their precious toys were at risk of becoming a frisky puppy's chew toy if they didn't pick them up, but the threat simply never materialized. She tip toes around anything strewn about the floor. If her toy happens to be under something of the kids...she will try ever so gently to grab it, but if she senses that she is disturbing their toys she whimpers until someone comes over and helps her. That is the sweet golden soul that Grace has. And though cancer may be ravaging her precious body, it cannot take that away.
 

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#21 ·
She is a beautiful girl! You're right, three is far too young. Golden's are the perfect dog. The fact that they are SO susceptible to cancer is not fair..... I'm still devastated about losing my Allie to it almost 6 weeks ago, and my Molly before that. I know words probably don't mean much to you right now, but I hope the best for Grace, you and the family......
 
#24 ·
Thanks so much for sharing a picture of your Grace. She is beautiful and our hearts are heavy over the news. We will remember Grace in our quiet time in prayer, trusting that God will touch her body and let her keep on enjoying her fun and time with you. Give her all your love and make her life as exciting and upbeat as it can be. Most of all, be positive, expecting that the situation will change for Grace and for you.
 
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