Mast Cell Tumors in Dogs: some advances in conventional care
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
Updated: May 6th, 2019
Hi! I have been getting feedback about mast cell tumors and I would like to get some info out there. I will focus on some conventional medicine advances for the time being that should be thoroughly checked into by dog lovers interested in mast cell tumors. These are not general cancer recommendations, rather just a window to full spectrum care, which is a phrase I coined to describe evidence-based selection of cancer fighting weapons from any source. I will focus on Western (allopathic) viewpoints today.
First, the traditional treatment is surgery…get ’em out. I wrote about pre-treatment with Benadryl before surgery, in a previous post, so remind your vet. Have any mass aspirated (needle biopsy) before surgery to diagnose most mast cell tumors so your vet surgeon has a general diagnosis before surgery.
Chemo consists of drugs like prednisolone, vinblastine, and others traditionally. Chemo in dogs is tolerated better than in humans as lower doses are used for cancer. The word “chemo” has a bad ring to it, but this is a prejudice developed from human medicine. Dogs generally handle it better, on the average, although everyone is different.
Note: if you have a Collie or related breed, make sure your vet tests for a MDR-1 gene mutation common in these herding dogs. This genetic issue may increase chances of side effects not only from vinblastine (above), but also vincristine and doxorubicin. Doses of these drugs shoud be lowered significantly if your dog is positive on this test. For more information, see the post on 8/30/08.
Predisolone or prednisone (“pred”, ) are cheap, common, side effects are most often not too bad, and they are tablets so you can change the dose easily depending on your dog’s responses. Vinblastine is a stronger chemo vinca alkaloid chemo agent, more potent than pred, which requires the dog to be in the hospital for injections. Some oncologists like cyclophosphamide and L-asparaginase (you’ll get different opinions and preferences from different oncologists). These are all used for mast cell tumors.
Some stats for Grade 3 mast cell tumors treated with surgery, pred, and vinblastine: At 1 year after surgery, 57% of dogs were still alive, and at 2 years 45% were still alive. Average remission times are about 10 weeks to 5 months with surgery, prednisolone, and vinblastine. Remember, every dog is different, however.
Radiation is used for mast cell tumors that are difficult to remove completely, or any grade 3. This can be high voltage radiation, or brachytherapy, which involves the use of radioactive implants within the tumor site. Yes, a little weird, involved, and costly, but long remissions in the literature.
For more helpful information and tools on Mast Cell Tumors, get a copy of the Dog Cancer Survival Guide
Many are not into invasive care, so take a look below:
One that should be considered for a less intensive protocol is Lomustine or CCNU. This drug has gotten a lot of attention in the last couple of years for good reason. It is a pill,and can be given every 3 weeks. Pretty easy and non-invasive, unlike most chemo protocols, and is a single agent so it is simple. About 40% of dogs with mast cell tumors respond to CCNU all by itself, which is pretty darn good.
Cimetidine should be used in dogs with mast cell tumors, especially those with decreases in appetite or vomiting. This is an antacid which kills two birds with one stone. Mast cell tumors cause excessive acid production in the stomach when they get bad, which cimetidine counters. Additionally, cimetidine has some good anticancer effects that have nothing to do with acid stomach. Finally, it is cheap and easy to get.
Ask your vet about intralesional triamcinolone. They may have not used it before, so do not be surprised, but they can access the info easily (1 mg per cm q 2-3 weeks SQ). It is an simple injection of a form of cortisone that most vets will have sitting on their shelves. It is not very expensive, and very common. Every 2-3 weeks, your vet can inject the mast cell tumor, or infuse the area where the mast cell tumor was removed, with a small dose of this drug. The direct contact of the triamcinolone with any mast cells left in the body will blast them pretty good.
A new drug called SU 111654 (great name eh?) is being worked on at Michegan State University. Looks promising. There is also a technique out there consisting of injecting the mast cell tumor sites with deionized water. Cheap as dirt, but mixed reviews.
This post is just a piece of full spectrum cancer care for mast cell tumors folks. There is a lot more, but I’ll let you sink your teeth into this…
Best to all,
Dr Dressler
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
my 8 year old lab, alley, has been diagnosed with mast cell cancer on the base of her tail. we are going to vet oncologist next week. they talked about possibly removing her tail. i know they do tail removals routinely in certain breeds as puppies, but how big of a surgery is it for an adult dog? thank you -alley’s mom
Thank you Dr. Dressler for answering my questions. Cassies’ tumor on her leg is completely gone and she is in Total remission at the moment. She is getting her chemo by pill now instead of into the tumor. I cannot get any cognitive answer from my oncologist regarding the length of treatments. I should think that they should stop soon and she should just be checked every two weeks or so. I finally found some letchithin and have mixed it with the curcumin and Cassie just loves it. Put it on her food with the coconut oil and she gobbles it right down. Are there any other supplements that you might suggest for her. I still am giving her K-9 immunity and transer factor. The other pills that you recommended are much cheaper but they cannot ship to Canada without going through customs etc. It would take forever to get them. I certainly wish that Canada would buck up and get some of these things for their canine children as they really seem to help. Even our Vets don’t have the time or caring to have a site like yours. God Bless you Dr. Dressler as you are a Godsend. You must be exhausted from answering all of these blogs, carrying on your practice and at the end of the day having time to spend with your family.
Regards,
Joanne and Cassie
P.S. The comment on Bloodroot by patsi is very interesting and will wait and see what your comment is.
Dr Dressler,I have been using neoplasene (bloodroot) since august,2007,for mast cell tumors,have removed 14 plus tumors,most of them small. Have you any knowledge of this treatment? Thank You
Hi Dr. Dressler:
I have left many posts but have no answers from you except getting my vet to change her mind on treatment.
I have to say that we are so pleased with Cassies’ cancer. Sher is now in remission and her tumor is gone. She is still getting Chemo but only every other week with pills. She is also still on K9 immunity with trans factor. This is very expensive so I am going to switch to the other pills that you mentioned on another blog page. I was of the understanding that tumeric was also good for treating cancer. Is this a proponant of curcumin or is it completely different. I was going to mix it with wheat bran but then I realized glutens are not healthy for dog cancer patients. I am still looking for some letchithin. When the lump is gone, as they say and Cassie is in remission how long do they continue chemo for. It can’t be forever surely. At $200 – $400 per treatment it is getting really expensive but has done the job. Could you please answer my post, I would appreciate it very much.
Joanne and Cassie
Hi Joanne and Cassie,
What is your vet’s recommendation on the chemo duration? Your vet is the one managing the case and seeing your dog, and I cannot give individual recommendations for people’s pets, sorry. I am able to give general information that apply to many dogs though.
Curcumin is a component of turmeric, yes. Lecithin is easy to find online, just Google it. Copy this and paste in your browser window: lecithin
It is a pain to deal with though, messy and sticky, but it does help absorption when given with water.
I wish you the very best.
D
Hi Dr. D!
I want to buy your book, but my husband is not a believer. You see our 4 year old female Boxer, Layla, was diagnosed almost 3 months ago with grade 3 mast cell tumors in her lymph node in her groin. We’ve already spent thousands of dollars…
We had one infected lymph node removed almost 3 months ago and during that time it spread to the lymph node right next to her colon. The doctor said they could not remove it due to the location. Meanwhile, she also sprouted two tumors on her nose.
Layla was on an I.V. chemo/prednisone treatments for her first 2 weeks, then her WBC were too low and she had to take time off. During 2 weeks with no treatment, the tumors on her nose started getting bigger again. The oncology vet said that she wanted to try a pill form of chemo she takes every 3 weeks, because she was not seeing the best results from the I.V. form. Layla still seems to be in good spirits though, still eating, still playing, but has gained a significant amount of weight due to the steroids.
We are soo scared we are going to lose our baby, she is so young and full of love still to give us! We are newlyweds, recently out of college so we do not have a large income and are getting discouraged about whether or not chemo treatment is the best treatment for Layla. The oncology vet, does not seem to ever have time to sit down and talk about functional supplements and of course she is the only one around.
We have changed her diet to EVO Chicken kibble with 3 pumps of fish oil mixed with water; a daily multi-vitamin; K9 Immuno-modulation therapy by Aloha Medicinals; and Benadryl 3 times a day. I think she has been eating better than I have lately…But I am still not sure that we are doing everything we can.
Questions to you:
I want to try a vet who is more in to functional supplements. Do you think this is a good step to stop chemo and try supplements? or both?
If I could persuade my husband into buying your book, does your book cover specific grade 3 mast cell tumor treatments?
Dr. D, I wish I had all the money in the world so I could bring her to see you! From watching your video, you seem to have more compassion for animals than most vets.
Thanks for being you!
Katie from Tulsa, OK
Katie,
there are some things you can still do, and
yes, the book does deal with mast cell tumors. You can also try it and if you do not like it you can return it!! I think you will find an massive amount of info in there.
Thanks for the compliment!!
D
Dear Dr. D.,
Benny received the intralesional triamcinolone shot into his enlarged Mast Cell Tumour on Friday, Feb.8th and now the tumour is back to its original size. We have not called the vet but wondered if you have any ideas as to what we do from this point on? The area is inflamed and I am fearful that it will burst and cause great distress. So far Benny seems comfortable and not bothered by it.
He is eating the cancer formula Canine Life diet along with lots of freshly steamed vegetables, especially broccoli and many supplements whihc I have previously outlined. He eats well, gets lots of exercise and continues with the daily dose of 10 mg prednisone.
Thank you for any suggestions you may have.
Joanne Johnston & Benny
Thanks Dr. Dressler,
Our vet did give Benny a shot of intralesional triamcinolone last Friday, February 6th, 2009 and the tumour is reduced a little in size, but not as much as we had hoped. He also got a shot of benadryl.
Our vet also has Benny on 10 mg. of prednisone daily and 2/3 tablet of Pepcid AC. Every day with him is a “gift.”
Thanks for responding to my post.
Joanne & Benny
My dog, Nikki, had surgery last week and it was a very bad, bloody, tumor. It was thought to be a sist, it turns out to be Apocrine Adenocarcinoma. What is the likelyhood of survival. My dog is only 4 years old. Husky/mix with lab and shepard?
I have posted before but didn’t get any response. Our 6 year old schnauzer Benny has Stage 2 Mast Cell Tumour, removed in November, 2007, returned in July, 2008. No more surgery, just CANINE LIFE MUFFINS (cancer formula), lots of good supplements, reishi, Chinese mushrooms, turmeric, modified citrus pectin, salmon oil pills, artemisinin twice daily etc. He is on 15 mg. of prednisone every other day and one tumour is now growing and very hard and red. I fear that it will “burst” and he will suffer. I don’t know what to do. We have called our vet who is not in the office today. I HATE this disease. Do you think shots of intralesional Triamcinolone would be effective at this stage? I am at my wit’s end and worn out after over a year of worrying daily.Benny is only 6 and a half and he doesn’t deserve this. Inoticed the first lump in May of 2006 and NOTHING was done until November 2007 and it was TOO LATE!!
PLEASE HELP ME!!
Joanne & Benny
Joanne, yes, most definitely talk to your vet about intralesional triamcinolone!!
Good luck,
D
Dear Dr. Dressler,
I realize I have already asked you about artemisinin but found some web-sites that sell it and it all so different. Can you recommend a company to buy it from so that I don’t get some placebo or something. Also how much per day would you give to a 60 pound dog. This might help Cassie.
I phoned her Oncologist today and she really took offence to my asking again about intralesional triamcinolone. Unfortunately Alta Vista Animal Hospital here in Ottawa is the only facility in this City that give Chemo. I am stuck and that is it. Hopefully what she is doing will work. Cassie is only seven and very strong so I am hoping she will pull thru. Thanks Dr. D.
Joanne
I have a 12 year old yellow lab, in fairly good health. In the last week he has had some hip problems. We already have him on a glucosimine chondrotain regiment. When I went to the pet store and this woman told me of a product called the MISSING LINk, a natural canine omega 3 superfood supplement. He has been on it for 2 days, and I have ntoiced he got 3 fatty tumors within a day. Is this a sign that this product might not be for him? How can I get rid of the fatty tumors without surgery, or atleast decrease their size?