# Nasal Cancer



## Broker (Jan 7, 2008)

Has anyone had experience with canine nasal cancer? Our 9 year old standard poodle was diagnosed in Sept. We chose to put him on drug therapy of a combination of Piroxicam and Doxycycline. He did extremely well until 3 days ago and is now bleeding once again from the right nostril. Would appreciate any advice and help with what to expect and what the progression might be. Thanks


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## pacnut (Jan 8, 2008)

I'm sorry to hear about your dog. My 12 yo mini poodle died last month. He had nasal squamous cell carcinoma. I really struggled with choosing a treatment option -drug therapy or radiation. There really isn't much on the web from other dog owners who have gone through similar experiences.


Our veterinary oncologist told me that no matter what treatment i chose - my dog would feel better for a time - but the tumor would grow back. My dog's case was a little different because the tumor was very aggressive, displacing his right eye and it started to invade his brain. It also spread to his lymph node. He never had bloody discharge from his nose. I decided to put him on radiation therapy. The vet said it would shrink the tumor and give him some relief. He was put under anesthesia three times - once for a CAT scan and biopsy - the second to get the proper measurements for the radiation treatment. On his first day of radiation, they put him under and his heart stopped beating. He died. The vet said she believes he was sicker than we thought.

I really don't know how long he had the tumor. The vet can't tell me either.
I started seeing signs of the tumor in mid- September. He started sneezing and had a watery eye. I took him to four different vets and they all thought he had allergies. Finally I took him to a dog opthamologist. She examined him and right away she told me my dog had something growing behind his eye. He was diagnosed with cancer in late-November and died on December 17th.

I know your dog is undergoing a different treatment but I hope my story helps. I know you're going through a very tough time. My thoughts are with you.


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

nasal cancer has a very poor prognosis...... 
there is not much more to say than that.... 
I wish you the best with your dog and know that you will do what is best for your pup its an awful situation. 

I am sorry that you are dealing with this


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## vabird (Jun 5, 2007)

It is going to depend on what type of cancer he has. Do you have an oncologist nearby that can see him? Did anyone talk to you about radiation treatment?


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## dealk22 (Jul 22, 2011)

In march, I thought my dog had a cold. he had a runny nose and was snoring alittle bit. I taught him how to sneeze to try to relieve some nasal congestion. It seemed to work. It did not get any better. I took him to the vet, and he diagnosed him with a 75-90% chnace of a cancerous nasal tumor. His blood work came back fine, but his lymph nodes are swollen. Yesterday he went for his check up, and he is getting a little worse. He can only breath through his mouth, he has gotten a few bloody noses, runny nose and his eye are runny and watery. no one can tell me how long he may have,(even the vet) he still seems happy, no pain, but much more sedate.(maybe the heat??) He also has a little trouble eating and drinking although his appitite is fine. Can someone tell me what to expect or how long he may have? he is a 88 lb chocolate lab FYI


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## DoggieGirl (Jul 21, 2011)

Hi Dealk22- Sorry to hear about your pooch. Has the vet done any tests to diagnose him with cancer?


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## KodiBarracuda (Jul 4, 2011)

I think it is scary how often cancer is popping up in our beloved canine companions. 

I would hate to find out that it is the humans causing it, like some people think that cell phones and technology is causing cancer in humans, I would hate for it to be causing cancer in dogs too. (The tech=cancer is not my personal theory, it was just an example.)


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## dealk22 (Jul 22, 2011)

DoggieGirl said:


> Hi Dealk22- Sorry to hear about your pooch. Has the vet done any tests to diagnose him with cancer?


no. he said it is not necessary for his diagnosis. he also would have to go under anesthesia, so I opted out. we are just keeping him comfortable now. he seems ok, just a little slower eating and rough alwats having to breathe through his mouth.


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## DoggieGirl (Jul 21, 2011)

Dealk22, awe, how old is he?


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## dealk22 (Jul 22, 2011)

DoggieGirl said:


> Dealk22, awe, how old is he?


he turned 10 in April...


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## katG (Jun 27, 2011)

My Boston Terrier had a cancerous tumor in his nose, we took him to a specialist and there wasn't anything they could do. He was happy and playful until the end of his life. I'm sorry you are going through this, and I hope they find a way to treat your dog :-(


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## MuttJob (Jul 16, 2011)

I'm going through the nasal cancer nightmare now. My dog is an 11 year old lovable mutt that looks like she's got some hound dog in her. I took her to the vet for a bump on her nose in early June and she had a mass in one nostril. The first biopsy came back "inflammation" as apparently nasal tumor cause a lot of destruction to the delicate turbinate bones and mucus membranes in the nose . There was no sign of metastasis anywhere else. We went to a specialist who believed it was cancer also. The CT scan showed a mass that had entered her sinus but hadn't invaded the cribiform plate crossing into the brain. Because she hadn't been very symptomatic (one one nosebleed, no sneezing, reverse sneezing or other discharge) they thought they thought it could be treatable. But the second biopsy came back "inflammation as well." At this point we knew from a previous ultrasound that she had either a benign or very low grade tumor in her belly, attached by an inch or two to her GI tract. It was very old and all mineralized. It was a bit on the back burner since the doctor said it had zero chance of bursting. We were basically waiting to put her under for something else and they do the GI tumor at the same time. Apparently it was a very easy clip and snip. 

So the day they did the GI tumor, they debulked the nasal tumor mostly for diagnostic purposes. Some oncologists don't like debulking, but in this case it was the only real way to figure out what kind of cells we were dealing with. It also gave the plastic surgeon a chance to reconstruct the bit of bone damage done by the tumor so her head wouldn't swell up like a balloon! The biopsy came back undifferentiated sarcoma, but it had a low mitotic rate. So we knew it was destructive of normal cells, but was also a slow growing kind. With no treatment, just the debulking - the oncologist said the average is 3-6 months. That's just the average of course, every individual is different. And because she had no real symptoms till the bump appeared, we don't know if it was 3 months or a year since the tumor first started growing. The preferred treatment is radiation. Since survival times don't increase with just surgery, rather than no treatment at all - we kind of put ourselves on a course towards radiation just by doing the debulking surgery. They said the palliative course, which is more geared toward slowing tumor growth rates and decreasing symptoms had an average survival time of 6-12 months. Definitive radiation with a linear accelerator and the 3D CT based treatment plan (makes a geographic miss near impossible) showed survival times of 12-18 months. The oncologist said he would totally support us treating aggressively. While they were in her GI tract, they took biopsies of the intestine, liver, checked her spleen for nodules, and checked the big plate of lymph nodes behind her rib cage for any abnormalities. All looked perfect, and they said she was a very healthy dog otherwise. We decided to go ahead with definitive radiation. 

The radiation tech literally just called to say she'll be ready to be picked up from her 15th radiation session today. She has two more sessions to go. So far the only side effect (besides me and my husband being TOTALLY broke, lol) is oral mucatosis. Her gums were red, swollen, ulcerated and just starting to bleed Friday night. She stayed in the doggie hospital until Saturday morning. She was put on antibiotics and had the rest of the the weekend to recover a bit and looked good going in today. We've also put her on a special oral rinse three times a day that seems to help. Her appetite is still as excellent as it ever way, she just eats more slowly and more messy! She is also on 10mg/day of presnidone, both for tumor control and appetite stimulant - although I'm not so sure she needs it. Also, after the debulking surgery, her nose was drippy and she did a lot of reverse sneezing. That completely stopped one week ago though. 

They tell me the week after radiation is the worst. That's when the burns are worst, when her mouth will be the worst etc. Ugh. Honestly, this process wasn't too hard until this weekend. This weekend was not good for her, and she has another week of not feeling good to look forward too. She is on tramadol for pain, and while she's still wagging her tail and looking for affection, I can tell her mouth bothers her...and she mostly just sleeps. Poor ol' lady. They told me either later this week or next we will get to the point where we will ask ourselves how we could have done this to our dog. They told me to hang on and power through it and she will get better. Boy I hope so. I love her to death and will never regret spending the money, but when I see her in the pain she was in Friday, my heart breaks. 

On the bright side, while the tumor seemed to be quite destructive to individual cells, it also had a low growth rate giving us a leg up in treatments. The oncologist (who came in Friday night at 10PM to examine her when I brought her back to the doggie hospital in pain!) has a gut feeling that the radiation is working very well with her, although we can't confirm without a CT. He said her passages that we totally blocked a month ago are completely clear now. And the test will be to see if the tumor cells are dead, gone, in remission. 

Apparently this tumor almost always reoccurs but rarely spreads - particularly a carcinoma. But a dog can get a year, sometimes two of excellent quality of life. At her age, the treatment MAY be curative. We just have to watch and see when it comes back. I keep hoping we're one of the lucky ones and it just doesn't! As of now, I'd say I'd choose this course again. But ask me that next week and I may say I wouldn't. If she's still with us in a year and doing good...then of course then I'd say I would! It just depends on the day. This disease is a bit of a roller coaster. 

Anyway, I wish you guys luck. Let me know if you have any questions. I'm not an expert but I've walked this road. I can try to answer what I can.


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## Britehopes (Sep 23, 2011)

dealk22 said:


> In march, I thought my dog had a cold. he had a runny nose and was snoring alittle bit. I taught him how to sneeze to try to relieve some nasal congestion. It seemed to work. It did not get any better. I took him to the vet, and he diagnosed him with a 75-90% chnace of a cancerous nasal tumor. His blood work came back fine, but his lymph nodes are swollen. Yesterday he went for his check up, and he is getting a little worse. He can only breath through his mouth, he has gotten a few bloody noses, runny nose and his eye are runny and watery. no one can tell me how long he may have,(even the vet) he still seems happy, no pain, but much more sedate.(maybe the heat??) He also has a little trouble eating and drinking although his appitite is fine. Can someone tell me what to expect or how long he may have? he is a 88 lb chocolate lab FYI


Dealk22, how is your dog doing? I don't see that anyone responded to your question about how long he might have.

They say without treatment, the average time is 3-6 months. But I don't know if that is from when the tumor first begins or when you first see the major symptoms. But let me say, that I know a few people who have been through this and their pets made it more than 6 months from the diagnosis--maybe they were lucky or maybe the "experts" were wrong.

I just found out this week that my 11 year old Aussie has a very large nasal tumor. I did have the CT scan done and am waiting for the biopsy. But unless it comes back benign (not very likely), I am choosing to not pursue radiation or chemo opting instead to manage her pain and spoil her rotten for as long as I can.

I would be interested to know how things have progressed. Like you, I have no idea how long the tumor has been growing.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

Awwwwe. I do not know the first thing about nasal cancer but am learning from reading this thread. I just would like to say that my thoughts and prayers are with all of you and your best friends.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Dealk22- I agree with 3 - 6 mos. It usually moves quickly if it spreads to the lymph nodes.
1. Watch quality of life - how well he can walk, breathe, and eat. A Lab that doesn't eat is very sick.
2. I suggest weighing him weekly to observe declines in weight. Even with a good appetite, he can lose weight.
3. Watch how he sleeps, to see if he has trouble breathing while sleeping, therefore sleeping poorly.
4. It's your choice when you make the decision: When he first starts having trouble eating or walking (the beginning of the decline in quality of life) vs. when he can no longer get up, even with help and no longer wags his tail.... or something in between.
5. The Vet may have meds to reduce the symptoms....


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## Lucky's mom (Oct 19, 2011)

Our 10 1/2 yr old beagle, Lucky, just got biopsy results last night. He has an agressive, malignant carcinoma nasal cancer. The lump first appeared about 6 months ago, but we are also tending to elderly parents so his visit to a specialist had to wait. He has issues that eliminate treatments that might require anesthesia, so we are going to treat him palliatively with NSAIDs for starters (knowing that steroids and painkillers are available when needed). I asked about herbal options. We've been giving him cumin capsules since hearing of the possibility of nasal cancer. The vet suggested Yunnan bai yao, a Chinese herbal blend, for nose bleeds. Although Lucky's not had bleeds yet, we're going to have it on hand. Does anyone have any experience with herbal treatments?


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## Britehopes (Sep 23, 2011)

Lucky's mom said:


> Our 10 1/2 yr old beagle, Lucky, just got biopsy results last night. He has an agressive, malignant carcinoma nasal cancer. The lump first appeared about 6 months ago, but we are also tending to elderly parents so his visit to a specialist had to wait. He has issues that eliminate treatments that might require anesthesia, so we are going to treat him palliatively with NSAIDs for starters (knowing that steroids and painkillers are available when needed). I asked about herbal options. We've been giving him cumin capsules since hearing of the possibility of nasal cancer. The vet suggested Yunnan bai yao, a Chinese herbal blend, for nose bleeds. Although Lucky's not had bleeds yet, we're going to have it on hand. Does anyone have any experience with herbal treatments?


Lucky's mom,
Stella's vet also recommended Yunnan baiyao. Unfortunately, before I could get any of it, Stella had a hemorrhage that neither the medication the vet had given me to use if needed, nor the vet at the emergency clinic where able to stop the bleeding. So I had to have her put to sleep. That is the only herbal treatment the vet told me about. However, you should see if there is a holistic vet in your area that you could work with. Good luck with Lucky.


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## lori.61 (Oct 20, 2011)

Hi All
Have just come across this forum, and thought I would tell you about my 12yr old Westie.
Chloe has suffered from nose bleeds for roughly 10 months now, first starting on left nostril occasionally to now both nostrils and bleeding constantly. The first vet we saw treated her for a fungi infection, but medication did nothing. We let things go on a bit, then she had the eye infections, but that was nothing new, she had been having them for years on and off.
She was diagnosed about 2 months ago by a new vet, with nasal tumour, so agressive that it was protruding through her gum, I thought she had as absess. She has lost a lot of weight, but still manages to wag her tail and occasionally greet me when I come home from work.
We have chosen to have no surgery or drugs and to make her comfortable and spoil her rotten for as long as we can. She goes off her food every few weeks for a day or so, but then seems to bounce back. She is very hard to keep clean as her constant nose bleeds dry on her coat during the night and she looks messy, but still very loved. She is no longer able to enjoy her walks as they are just too much for her, but she likes to lay beside me in the evening. She has not showed me to be in any pain, but does seem now and again that she has not had a good nights sleep, but we leave her to it and she sleep during the day and bounces back again.
I have not been told how long she may have left, but she has already had 10 months of symptoms, so the vet has no idea how long she may have left either. Will have to play it by ear!
Love to all dog owners experiencing this horrible cancer


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## Lucky's mom (Oct 19, 2011)

Britehopes & Lori.61, I am so sorry to hear about your dogs. So far, Lucky's had no nose bleeds, but the tumor is gradually blocking his nasal passage and has (as the vet put it) eaten through his nasal bone to protrude on top. We started him on cumin capsules once a day and he started on Deramaxx (an NSAID) yesterday. I have ordered Yunnan bai yao (on eBay) and will start him on that to see if it will reduce the bloodflow to the tumor. There is a liquid form and I may see if he'll let me put it on his nose-bump. (Just a hunch and a "Hail Mary" try). Also, to just have on hand for nose bleeds. It is highly recommended for that use and I am impressed by what I read about it online.
Lori.61 - the Yunnan bai yao is an herbal mixture that might help Chloe's nose bleeds. The cumin is also herbal with aniti-inflamatory properties (and said to have anti-cancer qualities).
My thinking is to feed Lucky well (for strength when he goes off his feed) and feed him lots of anti-inflamatory foods. Good for him - he's always loved steamed broccoli!
Honestly, he seems to have perked up a bit and my husband and I see some reduction in the nose-bump. It was pretty swollen after the exam & biopsy, though.


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## Lucky's mom (Oct 19, 2011)

I'd asked the vet to please call if he had any further thoughts of possible treatments. He talked with an oncologist who recommended a drug called* Palladia*. Currently being tested at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine on dogs with a diagnosis of nasal carcinoma as a treatment with and without radiation. We are in Delaware, but hope to see the oncologist for a prescription next week. There may be some small hope!:clap2:


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## snowyowl (Oct 27, 2011)

We just had this with our last golden retriever. It started with a slightly running nostril with a little blood in it. I got her on some meds and it still continued. She was always happy but was losing weight. We just gave her a lot of love and spoiled her. Then one day my daughter said she had bled a lot in the garage, it was more then I had seen before. Then one night my daughter came home and started yelling at me to come outside. There was blood every where and she was still bleeding but wagging her tail. I wiped her nose and it seemed to stop we watched her for a while. When we went to feed her it started again and I had to throw her food away because it was a mess. My daughter (16) said she did not want her to suffer any more, so the next day we had the vet put her to sleep. She was in my daughters arms so she went happy. The vet said that is what he thought would happen with the tumor.


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## lori.61 (Oct 20, 2011)

Though I would update Chloe's progress!
Started medication yesterday, a chinese herb, yunnan baiyao, it was used a lot during ww2 to stem bleeding in soldiers, she took her first capsule really well, ate it with her food, bleeding hasn't stopped but she seemed much brighter last night, jumping up when her name was called, which lately all she has done is sleep. Will be giving her 1 capsule a day and will report progress weekly for you. Believe me anything that can help reduce the bleeding would be a blessing !


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## ginamac (Feb 18, 2012)

My Lucky (Beagle) is almost 12 years old..my baby...He started having some real sneezing spells and sounded almost congested at times. Then I noticed eye to look strange. Took him to vet and did antibiotics and nothing changed..noticed a very slight bulging of the eye and the pupil is not dialating. He is a dog with a history of allergies as well. We did an xray and there is a mass almost like behind his eye...and he only seems to breath air in and out of the one nostril. When he sneezed some blood came out but only when he sneezed...that was a week ago, havent seen any blood since. At this point we have him on a low dose steroid and pain meds, he is doing great...eating, walking, etc. Any advice...we are a at a loss and wondering what might come next..or what to do...I am just devastated but his quality of life is just fine right now...he is happy etc...I need advice, support, whatever you can offer, and I am thrilled to have found this forum. Thank you, Gina


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## wcrpaul (Jul 21, 2012)

As to Palladia... 

Our 7 yrs Jack Russell cross was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma in his sinus in February this year. It started as a bump on his head which was very tender to touch. The tumour had invaded through his skull. After the usual CT and blood/cell count tests we decided after much heart-searching to opt for chemo. Surgery was not offered as an option. Radiotherapy at this site would have almost certainly caused loss of an eye and significant skin damage. He started on IV Carboplatin at 3 week intervals (a course of 5 treatments) with Piroxicam Tablets, and Maropitant to suppress nausea if needed. 

Initial results were encouraging. We had taken photos of the visible lump pre-treatment and there seemed to be some reduction in size. However, coming up to the 5th IV treatment, the tumour erupted though the skin with occasional bleeding, and it was clear that initial promising results of the original chemo regime were not being sustained. 

It was at this staqe that Jack's chemo was changed to M-W-F Palladia (Toceranib) 35mg by tablets with Metacam on the alternate days S-S-T-T. He has been on this regime for just under 3 weeks. The University SAH was wary about administering Metacam on the Palladia days, because the latter is so new with limited information available as to possible contra-interactions. He needed pain relief on these days, and the SAH recommended a quarter Paracetamol tablet 2x daily on these days.

1. Jack has maintained his appetite better under the Palladia than with Carboplatin, even though he finds it very painful eat anything such as a Dentastix (which he used to love). He has no GI problems just now. He still loves treats but we have to break them up for him. We soak his kibble in warm water and mix it with some tinned meat. I hold the bowl for him and he eats quite heartily. Some warm gravy (if we're having some) is especially welcome.

2. Continued in next post.....


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## wcrpaul (Jul 21, 2012)

Sorry all I don't know what happened just then, I got cut off mid-post. Continuing from previous .... 

2. Jack is still keen to go out for his walks. However he does seem more subdued in the daytime. We think on balance this is due more to pain than to side effects of the Palladia. 

3. He is maintaining his body weight.

4. We do not think that the Paracetamol was giving him enough pain relief. So we have decided today to return to his Metacam dosage for 7 days including Palladia days, but we will also discuss this with the SAH when we revisit this Wednesday.

5. Palladia needs very careful handing using gloves.

The SAH (Small Animals Hospital) was careful to explain that the efficacy of Palladia on tumours such as Jack's has not been well established. So far, the results are not greatly encouraging. The tumour has not noticeably reduced in sized and still leaks blood from time to time. But then again, it hasn't increased in size either so I suppose that's something to hang on to.

I will post further to report developments.

Best wishes to everyone.

Paul


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## Nunya (Dec 10, 2012)

I am a little late to the party but we are going through a similar experience with our dog Nunya. She completed doggy tomotherapy and now we are on to chemo if her liver functions improve. Wish you all the best of luck.


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## shrek (Dec 16, 2012)

I'm glad I found this site. Our 12 year old golden turns 13 in Jan. He has nasal cancer. Since Sept, he has had a bloody nose. After trying different procedures, we took him to a specialist and had an endoscope done (in Nov). It confirmed nasal cancer. We deciced not to persue radiation, it is not a cure and his age. But we are doing a low dose oral chemo and yunnan Baiyo to help slow the growth of the tumor. The YB is very effective at stopping the bleeding, which makes Alex more comfortable. The tumor is growing and it is becoming more pronounced on his nose. He now has congestion which botheres him at night. He is still very active and eats well, goes for walks, tail up and wagging. My heart is breaking. I pray for him every day that he does not suffer. I pray that my husband and I know the right time to make the final call. We spoil him all the time, lots of love and treats, and companionship. We continue our normal routine and when it's time to travel to the warmer SW, Alex will come with us. My heart goes out to all who have a best friend who has any type of cancer.


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## Brinkley1 (Dec 22, 2012)

My 9yo wheaten terrier has nasal carcinoma since last year. He had radiation therapy and the tumor grew back. Does anyone have experience with low dose chemotherapy - what are the side effects? I am considering it but not sure. Thanks!


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## shrek (Dec 16, 2012)

Hello. Sorry to hear the tumor grew back. I am giving Alex the low dose chemo, about 45 days so far. It is cyclophosphamide. I haven't seen any bad side effects from this. He isn't loosing his hair, etc... He acts the same, happy and loving. Good luck!


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## Brinkley1 (Dec 22, 2012)

Has anyone here have a dog that received radiation first and then chemo? I am just worried that the radiation may have impacted my dog's immune system and that the chemo would further impact it. Any advice would be appreciated.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I have had no experience, but I used to support MD Anderson in their early radiation trials in the 70s. I don't believe that the radiation would have a large impact on the immune system, because it tends to be localized, focussed on the cancer to figuratively brun away the mass. However, I could see the act of destroying the mass, as an injury to the body and not due to radiation, having some impact on the immune response. But, I would guess that would be the same response as if the dog were burned. 

In any case, I would expect the Vet to completely understand those responses as well as interactions from chemo, and would expect them to be able to address any concerns and questions that you have. LIke I wrote, my experience was from 40 years ago and advances have been tremendous.


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## Ratness (Jan 5, 2013)

I am so sorry for your pup D: 

Our oldest dog Luke, his sister had cancer on her lymph nodes. He mother died of the same thing, it could have been genetic, I have no idea if any of their siblings died of cancer.


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## dmpavao (Jan 9, 2013)

Well, my pekingese, Abbey, was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma today. It's well differentiated and the vet thinks we actually got alot out with the nasal flush they did for biopsy. I'm contemplating treatment options. Possibly going to do a palliative radiation treatment and metronomic chemotherapy using Chlorambucil. Anyone have any experience with either of these?


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## 2chrism (Jul 22, 2014)

My girl was just diagnosed with Sarcoma (slow growth) and the CT shows the turbinates gone - but biopsy only shows inflammation. I opted for only palliative, simply because she is 12. I love her dearly, but don't want to put her through all of that. Curiosity...how long did your girl last? With the radiation? Did you opt for chemo? I am only doing piroxican and doxy at the moment. She seems happy, energetic and not too terribly bothered. Appetite is good, she wants to go to the park and go for walks. I'm afraid that I am going to get the rug pulled out from under me...it's cancer after all. Terrified....and so sad... Your thoughts and experiences are much appreciated! Thank you. And so sorry for your own personal situation...I know it was ages ago (2011), but hopefully you were able to have a fully rounded experience with your girl.

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MuttJob said:


> I'm going through the nasal cancer nightmare now. My dog is an 11 year old lovable mutt that looks like she's got some hound dog in her. I took her to the vet for a bump on her nose in early June and she had a mass in one nostril. The first biopsy came back "inflammation" as apparently nasal tumor cause a lot of destruction to the delicate turbinate bones and mucus membranes in the nose . There was no sign of metastasis anywhere else. We went to a specialist who believed it was cancer also. The CT scan showed a mass that had entered her sinus but hadn't invaded the cribiform plate crossing into the brain. Because she hadn't been very symptomatic (one one nosebleed, no sneezing, reverse sneezing or other discharge) they thought they thought it could be treatable. But the second biopsy came back "inflammation as well." At this point we knew from a previous ultrasound that she had either a benign or very low grade tumor in her belly, attached by an inch or two to her GI tract. It was very old and all mineralized. It was a bit on the back burner since the doctor said it had zero chance of bursting. We were basically waiting to put her under for something else and they do the GI tumor at the same time. Apparently it was a very easy clip and snip.
> 
> So the day they did the GI tumor, they debulked the nasal tumor mostly for diagnostic purposes. Some oncologists don't like debulking, but in this case it was the only real way to figure out what kind of cells we were dealing with. It also gave the plastic surgeon a chance to reconstruct the bit of bone damage done by the tumor so her head wouldn't swell up like a balloon! The biopsy came back undifferentiated sarcoma, but it had a low mitotic rate. So we knew it was destructive of normal cells, but was also a slow growing kind. With no treatment, just the debulking - the oncologist said the average is 3-6 months. That's just the average of course, every individual is different. And because she had no real symptoms till the bump appeared, we don't know if it was 3 months or a year since the tumor first started growing. The preferred treatment is radiation. Since survival times don't increase with just surgery, rather than no treatment at all - we kind of put ourselves on a course towards radiation just by doing the debulking surgery. They said the palliative course, which is more geared toward slowing tumor growth rates and decreasing symptoms had an average survival time of 6-12 months. Definitive radiation with a linear accelerator and the 3D CT based treatment plan (makes a geographic miss near impossible) showed survival times of 12-18 months. The oncologist said he would totally support us treating aggressively. While they were in her GI tract, they took biopsies of the intestine, liver, checked her spleen for nodules, and checked the big plate of lymph nodes behind her rib cage for any abnormalities. All looked perfect, and they said she was a very healthy dog otherwise. We decided to go ahead with definitive radiation.
> 
> ...


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I don't have any facts to help you, but try to do some research, and maybe talk to a Vet (or human) oncologist to learn about the issues. I believe there have been significant advances, even within the past 12 months, with canine cancer treatment, beyond radiation treatments. There are even genetic methods, but I don't have any info about them.


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## Lexydog (Jan 20, 2021)

snowyowl said:


> We just had this with our last golden retriever. It started with a slightly running nostril with a little blood in it. I got her on some meds and it still continued. She was always happy but was losing weight. We just gave her a lot of love and spoiled her. Then one day my daughter said she had bled a lot in the garage, it was more then I had seen before. Then one night my daughter came home and started yelling at me to come outside. There was blood every where and she was still bleeding but wagging her tail. I wiped her nose and it seemed to stop we watched her for a while. When we went to feed her it started again and I had to throw her food away because it was a mess. My daughter (16) said she did not want her to suffer any more, so the next day we had the vet put her to sleep. She was in my daughters arms so she went happy. The vet said that is what he thought would happen with the tumor.
> View attachment 29020


Has anyone tried alternative medicine? My girl may have nasal cancer. I wanted to try a alternative medicine for her radiation was and is only option shes a 7 year old German shepherd


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

12 year old thread. You're much more likely to get responses if you start a new one.


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