Interesting study on vaccination sites...

Feline Injection Site Sarcomas, Posted: 17 Dec 2009 03:00 AM PST

Abstract of actual study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19210260

From the Winn Feline Health News (Winn Feline Foundation):

"The first suggestion that vaccine injections and the development of sarcomas in cats were associated was in October, 1991. Histologic and epidemiologic evaluations have supported a causal relationship between injections and the development of sarcomas. The most commonly indicated vaccines were those for rabies virus and feline leukemia (FeLV). In November 1996, the Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force (VAFSTF) was formed and one of its original tasks was to standardize injection sites. Prior to the recommendations, the majority of vaccinations were given in the interscapular region. The VAFSTF recommendations were to administer the rabies vaccine in the right rear leg as distal as possible, the FeLV vaccine in the left rear leg as distal as possible, and the FVRCP in the right shoulder. This study examined injection-site sarcomas (ISS) in 392 cats in order to evaluate changes in anatomic location and histologic classification of these sarcomas and the signalment of affected cats before and after publication of the VAFSTF recommendations. The results of the study indicated a high proportion of ISS in the interscapular region prior to publication of the recommendations (53.4%) and a significant proportional decrease (39.5%) after publication and likely adoption of the recommendations. There was also a significant decrease in lateral thoracic ISS that suggested tumors in these locations might have been caused by interscapular injections that were aberrantly administered. However, after 1996 the proportion of ISS on the limbs of cats and on the lateral aspects of the abdomen increased. This creates cause for concern because lateral abdominal tumors can be challenging, if not more difficult to treat, than those in the interscapular region. These results lead the authors to recommend that the VAFSTF recommendations be adhered to more strictly with emphasis on placement of injections in limbs as distally as possible. [VT]"

The bold emphasis is mine.

The take-away here - make sure your vet administers the rabies and feline leukemia vaccinations as far away from the main body on the legs as they can to ensure that tumors, should they develop, remain as easily addressed as possible.

Good article sometimes one forgets this in NOT general info

My vet actually showed me numerous studies on this when I first started going to her . As I questioned why she gave vaxs in the legs

Excellent info.....
always use the legs and make sure that each vaccine location is mapped on your cat's chart so that if an issue arises, the vet will know which vaccine caused the problem.

The emphasis here (if I may repeat myself a bit) is not so much giving these shots in the legs (that's been protocol since 1996) as it is to ensure the vet puts the leg shot as far from the body as possible, since tumors are now being seen close to the abdominal cavity - which, apparently, is as difficult, if not more so, to operate on than the original neck sarcomas.

To be honest, I was hoping, when I saw this study drop into my inbox, that it would have shown a lessening of tumor incidences, not a continuation of their occurrence and certainly not new locations more difficult to work on than the 1996 protocols were originally meant to address. *shakes head sadly*

Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy

The emphasis here (if I may repeat myself a bit) is not so much giving these shots in the legs (that's been protocol since 1996) as it is to ensure the vet puts the leg shot as far from the body as possible, since tumors are now being seen close to the abdominal cavity - which, apparently, is as difficult, if not more so, to operate on than the original neck sarcomas.

To be honest, I was hoping, when I saw this study drop into my inbox, that it would have shown a lessening of tumor incidences, not a continuation of their occurrence and certainly not new locations more difficult to work on than the 1996 protocols were originally meant to address. *shakes head sadly*

Click to expand...

I am SURE that THOSE of US reading this CAN in FACT UNDERSTAND that

Many vets who I know do and have done for a while the as far from way... In the last ten yrs I have had more animals and shots than I care to remember ALL were the as far from method( 7 different vets in multiple states).. seems others are not so lucky

Thanks for the link, that's interesting!

When you say:

The emphasis here (if I may repeat myself a bit) is not so much giving these shots in the legs (that's been protocol since 1996) as it is to ensure the vet puts the leg shot as far from the body as possible

Click to expand...

What do you mean? Surely the legs are as far away as possible from the body, and you can't really put the shots in the lower leg because it's mostly bone?

Hi, SarahP!

The study picked up an increase of sarcomas on the sides of the abdomen, which means some vets are just slapping the vaccines on the legs any which way, including in the front near the belly. This is creating sarcomas that are involving the abdominal area, which appear to be as bad or worse than the back of the neck tumors for surgical removal.

The usual mantra is "get the shot in the leg", but it is apparently a bit more precise than that (or, at least, is should be ).

I would like to add to this that it is the adjuvant in these vaccines that is thought to cause the cancer. The adjuvant was added to vaccines in the 1980s, and it was after that that these ISS (also know as VAS) began to appear, and the recommendation to give these shots every three years began.

Purevax makes a non adjuvanted vaccine for both Rabies and FeLV. Yes they should still be vaccinated in the legs as already described. But the non adjuvanted vaccines, so far, are thought to be safe.