?cancer?

[kimkats000]

A little background-dog is a 10 yr. N/M. Good health overall and very active. He had a small metastatci hermangiosaroma removed from his sheath 3 months ago. Vet thought he got it all.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. I noticed that he had lumps on the backs of his legs. He was not in any pain and did not mind me touching them. I took him to the vet as soon as he opened the next day. The vet did a punch specimen for a biopsy. The lab report just came in. It reads, "Suspicious of lymphosaroma".

The rest of the report reads as follows:

Microscipic Description: Lymph node, punch specimen? Sections of lymph node contain diffuse sheets of closely packed neoplastic lymphocyltes which replace normal lymph node architecture. The lymphocytes have rounded to irregular vesicular nuclei with a fine chromatin pattern and 1 to 3 prominent nucleoli with low amounts of incompletely discernible basophilic cytoplasm and increased mitotic activity (13/10 hpf). Interspersed tingible body marcrophages are also present. Neoplastic cells extend into the adjacent connective tissues.


Microscopic Findings: Lymph node: Suspicious of lymphosarocma, see comment below


Comment: The punch speciamen does not contain much lymph node architecture to evaluate warranting a cautious intretation. However, with the history of lymphadenopathy involving both popliteal lymph nodes, I am very suspicious of early lymphosarcoma. Lymphosarcoma is a melignant process warranting a guarded prognosis. This proliferation has a predominant large lymphoblastic cell type. I do not find metastiatic hemangiosacoma in this tissue. (companion case number xxxxx)

Repeated histologic evaluation of additional larger tissue epecimens should be considered if at all possible to confirm these suspicions. End of report.


My vet says that the lab doc is "dancing" around coming out and saying it IS cancer. My vet is going to try to call the lab and have them reread the slide and to talk to the vet that did the report. I need/want YOUR ideas to help me understand what this report says-PLEASE!

What would YOU do if it were your child/doggy? THANKS for any help! Kim

[Traci]

Kim, I agree with the pathologist...need a larger sample for accurate cell structure diagnosis. A full biopsy may be warranted so the pathologist can actually examine various aspects of the tissues. What he is saying now is a suspicion based on a small sample size, but that doesn't mean it's confirmed at this point.

If your vet will consult on your behalf, maybe ask for a consult with Colorado State U, find out if there are special staining techniques to utilize for a more accurate diagnosis.

[k9Karen]

I can't add anything to what Traci said, except that, depending on the amount of tissue submitted, recutting the block and looking at additional slides might help. The description (especially the increased mitotic activity) is highly suspicious of a proliferative disorder of some type. The pathologist who read the slide is basically saying he thinks it cancer, but not enough cells were present to be sure and he is asking for another specimen to be sent. He did compare to the previous slide (the hemangiosarcoma), and there were no cells that suggested this was the same process.

[kimkats000]

Thank you to both of you. Kim