Mammary cancer - I'm so distraught right now

I just started a thread about my cat Sandy. She also has cancerous mammary tumors. I saw two vets who said they did not believe her prognosis was very good & not to "waste" the money. Well I feel like I wasted money for their opinion. I am confused & emotionally numb. I am doing my best for her. She was a rescue along with her brother Squeekers who is gray (blue?). I got them from a farmer when my youngest daughter was invited to have pick of all the litters because he was "culling" kittens. I have never heard of mammary tumors, until this happened. So difficult to deal with all this!

I also consulted two other vets (in a different practice) for my Cindy when we couldn't pin down the type of cancer.  Both of them advised us not to "put her through" surgery.  Our regular vet said that Cindy was relatively young and healthy otherwise, and that she wasn't giving up on Cindy yet. (Her own cat was a whole lot sicker than Cindy and almost died from the surgery, but 2 years later he is still doing great)  We had the surgery 2 months ago, and Cindy is pretty much back to behaving like her old self.  Had her second chemo last Friday, and doing good.  I don't know what the final outcome is going to be, but I'm so glad we didn't listen to the "doom and gloom" vets.  I doubt she would still me with us if we had, based on the speed that tumor was growing.

I really don't know any more about mammary cancer than I've read on the threads on this board, and it seems like a lott all of a sudden. Has anyone said whether or not there is chemo for it, once they have the surgery?

Maybe look for a vet that does rescues?   

Here's a great new site a friend of mine started because her kitty has mammary cancer: sugarrub.org. Maybe there's some information on there that will help.

First Chemo - exactly 1 month since my first post.

Sorry I haven't been on for the last few weeks to respond to the recent replies, I just have so much going on right now, trying to just tread water if you know what I mean!

It has been a little over 2 weeks since momma kitty's surgery, she healed wonderfully from it and has gained almost a whole pound since! She has been (surprisingly) more energetic and affectionate also. The vet says that's probably because the tumors and lymph node aren't making her uncomfortable any longer.

So the plan from the beginning was the surgery and then 5 rounds of chemo, one round every 3 weeks for 15 weeks. I also have to take her in for a bloodwork test once in between rounds to check her white blood cell count and make sure it is not too low.

Today was her first treatment, it was $300 and they did not have to sedate her, she was very good and let the vet tech hold her the entire time. I couldn't be in the room because the chemo drug, which was called Doxorubicin, is highly toxic and they had to "suit up" in protective gear to administer it to her.

The visit took about an hour altogether, about 20 min for check-in and initial bloodwork, and then the chemo took about 40 min. They gave her a cortisone and benedryl shot in case she was allergic to the drug, which she was not. They said that only 5% of animals have side effects from chemo, because they give such lower doses than humans. But she might lose her whiskers and shed more than usual, and some eating habits may change. Also she cannot go outside (she loves to bask in the sun on our front porch), because the chemo drug makes her immune system lower so she's more susceptible to illness and infection.

So in one week I'm taking her back to do a blood check, which will be around $40, and then in 3 weeks she has her 2nd round. We've made it this far so we're going to keep going! The vet felt around everywhere and, as of the present, no new tumors have started. The vet is still standing by her 12 month prognosis, but says it's still early to really tell however it is a good sign that nothing has grown back already.

Well I'm off to read some of your threads that you've told me about in your replies, and to see how Spencer and his Mommy are doing!

And by the way, for what it's worth even though I am still so sad by this situation, and still get upset when I think about the near future, so far I have NOT REGRETTED doing the surgery and chemo AT ALL, she handled it extremely well, felt visibly much better after she healed, and I feel much better knowing that whatever happens, I'm doing everything in my power to give her all the life I can.

tclark, you are such a good mommy to all of your rescued kitties. You are a blessing to them. I'm so very glad to hear that Momma Kitty is doing well with the surgery and chemo. Thank you for the update. I am sure you are very busy right now.

Continued healing vibes for Momma Kitty and vibes for her mommy as well.

Tclark... I am going through the same situation...however I am just starting this journey with my cat. I got that horrific call tonight that the lump was in fact a mammory tumour. I am just devastated. Our vet suggested radical mastectomies.....Both sides!!! Can u please tell me how your little one got through it? I am distraught that I have to do this to her but I know this is her best shot! If anyone can offer suggestions it would be great! Just to fill you in my Abigail is 10 or so....rescued so we don't know exactly. Her tumour is less than 2 cm but she hasn't had the X-rays yet to tell us if the cancer is anywhere else yet. We are willing to do whatever it takes but I can't I aging how awful this surgery will be on her and to have both sides done within 14 days of each other!!!

Amanda I am so sorry for you, it makes me so sad to read your post. I and others on here know exactly how you feel. I was in tears when I first posted on here and was able to get a bit of comfort reading other people's replies to me, knowing that there are people out there in the world that care about animals the way that I do, and that know the hurt I have when people in my real life just dismissed my emotions as silly. 

Is the vet that recommended the radical mastectomy the surgeon that would be doing it? Were they an oncologist or a regular vet or what? I ask because, first I took my cat to a regular vet who had to give me the referral to the oncologist who gave me a referral to the surgeon. So 3 different people. Both the regular vet and the oncologist said that she would need a radical mastectomy, or at list a one-sided one. 

But when I got to the surgeon and he examined her, he explained to me that the radical "cut out all tissue" is considered an old-school way of thinking, and that in recent years they have done studies where it turned out that there wasn't much difference in survival rates between removing everything right away, and removing only affected tissue as it comes. So he said that since her tumors were only on one mammary gland and one lymph node, that was all he wanted to remove. And then as they always say... "we'll just wait and see". 

So, if your vet IS the surgeon, even though it will cost more money I would get a second opinion. Or ask them about the option of just removing the affected glands. If they are NOT the same person that will be doing the surgery, I would wait until you talk to the actual surgeon because he may recommend something different, and less drastic like mine did. 

My kitty took the surgery surprisingly well, much better than her spay surgery. The vet said that's because the mammary glands are just beneath the first thin layer of skin and they don't have to cut deep into the abdominal wall like they do with spays and other surgeries. Anyway they gave my vials of paid meds to give her, but she didn't even need them after the 2nd day and by now (it's been 3 weeks) she is all healed and acting/behaving like nothing is wrong.

I know no words can make you better, but if you are going to go down the surgery/treatment road then just try to mentally strengthen yourself, for you and your kitty's sake knowing that it will suck for awhile, and be difficult and painful, but there is a hope that it will all pay off, and just the chance of hope makes it worth it. For me, anyway.

BTW Momma is doing well still, it is 2 days after her first chemo and so far I don't see any side effects except last night she was a little cranky/not her usual loving self. But today she was fine. So I'm guessing at times she just doesn't feel that well.

Sending you hugs through the internet!

Thanks so much for responding. Like you said I feel a strange comfort knowing that I am not the only one out there that loves thei animals and will do anything for them! So glad to hear that momma is doing well. I will be thinking of you guys and hoping for the best!

Our vet will be the surgeon he owns and runs the hospital and I trust him completely! He said to remove both sides as they are lymphaticly connected and it is best to remove everything followed by chemo. Chemo will be done by a specialist. I am so worried about this surgery.....I feel so guilty that I am about to put her through this! She is my Velcro kitty, and a very important part of my family.
I am so glad you understand ... It is always hard when people don't get it. I had to take 2 days off work and know that my boss just doesn't understand that she is my family! But when people do understand.... Your support is so greatfull! I also have wonderful neighbours and friends that are helping me through this.

This is also so difficult as we lost my angel Casey only 7 months ago from ITP and then lymphoma. I know the hurt that comes with all of this.

Thanks for the hugs! Definitely needed. Please keep me updated with how momma is doing . Abigail has the surgery on Monday so it will be a tense weekend.

Just wanted to give another update -- it's coming up on 3 months since the initial diagnosis. At the beginning the oncology doc said she had 2 months to live without treatment, so she has outlived that prognosis (as expected with treatment) by one month now. The prognosis with treatment, again, was 12 months, which would be February 2014.

Momma kitty is about to go through her 3rd chemo treatment, so after this we will have 2 more to go and that will be the end of her treatment plan. Her bloodwork visits in between weeks have always come back with good numbers, and she still shows absolutely no signs of deterioration or any tumors returning. She is still eating, playing with my other cats and her toys, stalking prey outside, etc. The oncologist does a thorough exam of her every visit and I'm always feeling her underbelly for the slightest lump. And still clear, so far that is. I'm still keeping a realistic perspective, but part of me is getting nervous to be on the 2nd half of the chemo visits... I have this thought of "it's going good like this, can't we just keep her on chemo forever?!" lol so I'm nervous about getting to the end.

Will continue to update as life progresses...
 

Hi good luck and good vibes to you and kitty Momma I haven't been on this site much as the return to normal life has kept me busy, now that Spencer is healthy and thriving again

http://www.thecatsite.com/content/type/61/id/157969/width/200/height/400[/

Healthy Spencer!

tclark13 said:

Just wanted to give another update -- it's coming up on 3 months since the initial diagnosis. At the beginning the oncology doc said she had 2 months to live without treatment, so she has outlived that prognosis (as expected with treatment) by one month now. The prognosis with treatment, again, was 12 months, which would be February 2014.

Momma kitty is about to go through her 3rd chemo treatment, so after this we will have 2 more to go and that will be the end of her treatment plan. Her bloodwork visits in between weeks have always come back with good numbers, and she still shows absolutely no signs of deterioration or any tumors returning. She is still eating, playing with my other cats and her toys, stalking prey outside, etc. The oncologist does a thorough exam of her every visit and I'm always feeling her underbelly for the slightest lump. And still clear, so far that is. I'm still keeping a realistic perspective, but part of me is getting nervous to be on the 2nd half of the chemo visits... I have this thought of "it's going good like this, can't we just keep her on chemo forever?!" lol so I'm nervous about getting to the end.

Will continue to update as life progresses...
 

Click to expand...

So glad she is doing well.  Try not to worry what tomorrow will bring and enjoy TODAY!  (I know it's hard not to worry, but try not to  )

Spencers Mom said:

Hi

good luck and good vibes to you and kitty Momma

I haven't been on this site much as the return to normal life has kept me busy, now that Spencer is healthy and thriving again <3 don't give up! Enjoy each day with your babies, so many people told me I was crazy to do all this for a cat, that he was gonna die anyway, etc. but I don't regret it one bit.

Click to expand...

Glad to hear Spencer is healthy and thriving .  It was a long road, but aren't you glad you went down that route!

Update again -

Just wanna keep this thing going so that people can read about the entire experience. It's been about 2 1/2 months since my last post here, and Momma Kitty finished her 5th and final chemo treatment last week. The last 2 months have been a little up and down actually, she started to show her first real signs of side effects from the chemo in mid-May. She was lethargic, just generally not acting like herself and wanted to be alone all the time. All her whiskers finally fell out, and she started rapidly losing weight. She lost 3 pounds in a 3 week period and there for awhile it had the doc concerned that maybe the cancer had come back in an area that the chemo wasn't getting to. So I could have either ordered another $600 worth of tests to find out, or just finish the chemo treatment and hope for the best, and honestly I have been low on funds lately so I opted for the latter. I was really depressed about it for awhile and tried everything I could to get her to eat anytime I was home.

Then I had some travel plans come up and had to push back her last chemo a few weeks, making it about 6 weeks between treatments instead of the usual 3. And having those extra 3 weeks "off" so to speak seemed to make all the difference, she gained back 2 pounds and got some of her energy back, and showed all signs that her temporary illness was just from the cummulative chemo doses. Giving her a longer than usual break seemed to help her get some strength back. I'm hoping that now that she is done she can finally get back to her old self... and I can enjoy what time I have with her at her best.

Now I have to take her back in intervals to check and see if/when the cancer comes back. I go in 1 month for a full ultrasound and xrays, and then 3 months after that, and then 6 months after that, and then IF she makes it that long she will be considered cancer free. So far nothing has come back though, so I'm hoping for the best and preparing for whatever comes. We've made it a whole 7, almost 8 months since the beginning of this, and without any treatment she would have only lasted at most 2 months so we've at least got a 6 month extension from that. I'm really nervous about what's to come, part of me is afraid that now the chemo is done it will immediately come back, but then part of me thinks she can pull through for a long time to come and this can all be a bad memory some day. But who knows, we'll see. If she can make it to this Christmas (I've made that sort of a goal for us) then I'll be very pleased.

Hope you are all doing well and your fluffies are healthy and cuddled up somewhere warm. On another note I got my other long-haired kitty a lion shave, so now she looks like a lil black lion cub with a poofball tail that my other cats think is a new dangly feather toy bc it looks just like their other ones.


Taylor 

BTW I also just wanted to toot my own horn a little bit and say how great I've gotten at giving cats pills/liquids throughout my many kitty endeavors. I used to be all scared and hesitant and would get upset and it would take me like an hour and the cat would usually only get about half of what I was giving it and spill the rest... but I've done it so many times now OH you should see me I'm like grab, open mouth, shove it down, done son before the cat even knows what hit it!

So glad to hear that Momma Kitty is doing well. Many many vibes for a full and permanent remission.

Your little black lion cub is too cute!

To all of you who have a cat with mammary gland cancer.  Please think long and hard about surgery and chemo, etc.  My cat,Arrabella, was 12 when she developed this cancer.  We removed two lumps but the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes.  She lived another six months before it spread to her lungs.  I could have done the chemo bit but I feel her life would have been miserable.  And even with the chemo, the success rate is poor.  Arrabella had a great six months.  She was loved and spoiled and even tho I miss her every day, I know I did the right thing.  Each cat and person is different and I'm sure there are success stories but do your research.  There are a lot of sites about mammary gland cancer in cats.  Please don't think I'm not a caring person.  It breaks my heart every time I read about a cat with this cancer.  FYI: I did not spay Arrabella until she was 2.  We thought she had cardiomyopathy.  My vet also told me not to beat myself up about that as she has seen many cases of this cancer in cats who have been spayed at an early age.  I hope this helps a little.  My prayers are with all of you.

tclark, thanks for giving the update. Glad to hear your dear Momma Kitty is doing well
I hope the cancer will stay away !

I'm sad but not surprised to read about so many people dealing with this hideous disease. Mammary cancer affects about 1 in 4000 cats and is the third most common cancer in cats.

Feline mammary cancer darkened the door of our home in late January 2013. I found a lump under the armpit of our 11 year old tabby Sugar and I knew it was bad. I had a friend whose cat died of breast cancer in 2009.

Sugar had her lumpectomy and unilateral mastectomy within days of her diagnosis. The prognosis was pretty good, nothing seen in the lungs or lymph nodes. At the time chemo was not recommended. I was relieved.

Three months later and just 3 weeks after her routine vet appointment I found a lump in the same spot. It was devastating. Sugar immediately had that lump removed and began chemo shortly thereafter. She had her 5th and final treatment last Monday.

A lot of people, many of them pet owners, don't know that animals get breast cancer. So I started Sugar Rub! to raise awareness and encourage pet owners to check their pets at least once a month. Feline cancer is very aggressive and an annual check at the vet is not enough. I found both of Sugar's tumors because I knew about feline breast cancer.

When your cat or dog gets this horrible disease you have a lot of decisions to make. The path you decide to take is yours and only you can make those decisions. Many factors have to be taken into consideration, your pet's current health, the type of cancer, how far it has advanced, and sadly yes finances. This type of care is very expensive. 

We need better treatment for feline mammary cancer. The options are limited and the survival rate is not great. Even with surgery and chemo, it is hard to predict how your cat will do. I try very hard to stay focused on the present and enjoy every moment with Sugar. She has been a trooper and recovered well from both surgeries. She handled chemo like a champ, with her only side effects being loss of most of her whiskers. She did have minor tummy troubles with the 4th and 5th chemo treatments but that was attributed to the sedative not the chemo and she was fine once we got her home. She is very "squirmy" and was sedated so she could not pull out her catheter. She received doxorubicin and if it gets in the tissues can do severe damage. So she needed the sedation. 

I don't regret the road we've gone down with Sugar and now we hope and pray that the cancer is gone. 

If you want to follow Sugar's story, PM for information on our website and facebook page.

XX

Jeanette & Sugar 

Well today I make another update, but not a good one. She had her 1st post-chemo checkup, it has been about 2 months since her last chemo treatment, and it appears that the chemo did not work.  Already she has a decent sized tumor developing on her lower belly. Her lungs and stomach are still clear though so she is able to have more surgery. I'm very sad today, and called into work. It's rainy and cloudy here so that seems to match how I am feeling. So now I can either schedule yet another surgery, for got knows how much (today the checkup alone was $350), and play this whole "keep removing tumors until one grows somewhere inoperable like the lungs or stomach" game, or the alternative which is do nothing. What a choice. It sounds horrible to say but I almost wish that it would just grow back somewhere inoperable that way the choice is not mine to make, and I can finally stop this ride that's coming up on a year. Sorry I don't have much positive to say except that now that the chemo is over all of her whiskers and hair has grown back, she's gained more weight and despite the new tumor is in generally good mood and health. 

Oh I am so sorry. My heart goes out to you. I know what an emotional rollercoaster this has been for you. I can only imagine how difficult it is to make these decisions. I do think it's valid to ask the vet what the chances of success are at this point and weigh that against her quality of life. If she seems to be doing well now despite the new tumor, maybe you just take one day at a time and appreciate that time as much as possible.   for you.