Dr. Ernie Ward
It came up suddenly. One day Boomer was fine; the next he had a dime-sized red sore on his side. At first his owner thought it must be a bug bite. Two weeks passed and even though the angry red lump seemed to shrink a little, it was still there. It didn’t bother Boomer so another two weeks passed.
By the time Boomer came into my office the mass had been present for almost a month. It was now the size of a half-dollar and another red spot had appeared a few inches away. I didn’t like the looks of it and told Boomer’s owner so. I suggested we take a fine needle aspirate to determine what the growth was. A needle aspirate is just how it sounds: we take a thin needle, insert it into the mass and draw out a few cells to send to a pathologist. Occasionally we don’t get enough cells for a definitive diagnosis, but usually we get a good idea if we’re dealing with a benign or malignant growth.
I was suspicious this was a particularly nasty brand of cancer known as a mast cell tumor (MCT). 48 hours later my fears were confirmed: Boomer had intermediate grade MCT.
MCT’s originate from a cell we all encounter every time we are bitten by a mosquito, bee or have an allergy attack. Mast cells are tiny “bomb cells” containing inflammatory chemicals originally designed to fight parasites such as worms and allergens. MCT’s are one of the most common skin tumors in dogs accounting for almost 1 in 5 skin masses. We don’t know why MCT’s occur but are more common in Boxers, bulldogs, Boston terriers, labs and Goldens, Shar peis and Cocker spaniels. Dogs can be affected at any age while older cats are most affected, although much less frequently than dogs. Fortunately for us, MCT’s are rare in humans.
Surgery with wide margins is the preferred treatment. Some dogs will require additional radiation therapy and possible chemotherapy. A new experimental MCT vaccine, Palladia, is being used by some veterinary oncologists and seems to help about 40% of dogs with advanced or severe MCT.
My plan for Boomer consisted of surgery followed by a change in diet, weight loss and nutraceuticals. Surgery was challenging but successful. We initiated a no-grain fish-based diet and stopped all commercial processed treats and substituted with broccoli, carrots, and blueberries. Boomer began a twice-daily walking program based on the fact that exercise and weight loss lowers cancer risk. We also started daily probiotics, a daily anti-oxidant supplement and herbal tincture with several Chinese herbs known to aide in cancer. One year later Boomer remains cancer-free and is down 10 pounds. While I continue to remind Boomer’s parents that MCT can recur at any time and any place, I’m pleased Boomer has enjoyed a year of normal (if not better) life.
Boomer got lucky. His cancer could’ve easily exploded leaving a void in the hearts of his family. If you see a strange-looking sore on your pet, have it examined immediately. You never know when that tiny lump may be a deadly cancer bomb in disguise.
