37 days post surgery – oncologist apt


Lyla has made strides since her surgery and diagnosis with chondroblastic osteosarcoma. Overall she is doing quite well. She is adjusting to her new way of life, but is still quite hesitant to do any running. Mostly itโ€™s the hop/walk pace. Lyla is eating high quality foods plus an omega3 supplement. One odd thing is that once in a while she has what we call a mini freak out, I think itโ€™s when something scares her and she goes to jump back and she ends up spinning around backwards a revelation or two…also I think when she is pivoting or maybe forgets idk. I am hoping slowly this will subside.

I met with an oncologist regarding her diagnosis yesterday. I am going to cut and paste a portion of his recommendation below. He spoke with a few other oncologists and between them they could only find two other similar cases. At the moment all her chest scans are clear. My family is taking this very seriously and I think we are opting to forgo chemo. Please no judgement, she is a docile shy kitty and the stress of it all with no guarantee or stats to back it up makes me cautious. Truly our main concern is quality of life.

Oncologist info:
Compared to dogs, osteosarcoma in cats tends to have a lower rate of metastasis, or spread, to other areas of the body, such as the lungs. Therefore, the overall prognosis relies more heavily on the ability to obtain adequate local control of the disease. In patients with osteosarcomas of the limbs, amputation is recommended, as the median survival time with surgery alone often exceeds 2 years.
Chemotherapy is another option we discussed today. The main goal of chemotherapy is to slow the spread of the tumor to other part of her body, such as the lungs. Because osteosarcoma in cats metastasizes infrequently, chemotherapy is typically not incorporated as part of
standard treatment. Chemotherapy may be recommended, however, for tumors that cannot be resected, for tumors that have already spread, or when features on a biopsy report confirm a more aggressive tumor. One of these features is the mitotic index, which was quite high on
Lyla’s biopsy report. The benefit of chemotherapy in decreasing metastatic osteosarcoma in a cat is unknown. Two drugs often used for osteosarcoma include Adriamycin (also called doxorubicin) and
carboplatin. Adriamycin can have effects on the kidneys so we often choose carboplatin. With or without chemotherapy, thoracic radiographs are recommended every three months to monitor for metastasis.

*recommendation was 4 IV treatments every 3-4 weeks.

2 thoughts on “37 days post surgery – oncologist apt”

  1. Lyla has made HUGE strides! Every time you post she just looks more confident and so large and in charge ๐Ÿ™‚

    I promise you, no judgments at all with your decision. We all support one another no matter how we proceed after amputation, because every situation is different.

    Many people here opt out of chemo, including us. Yep, quality of life is definitely the most important thing when it comes to dealing with pet cancer. Lyla is so lucky to have such caring people looking out for her best interests.

    Thank you for including the information from your oncologist. It’s pretty much what we have heard as well.

    Now, it’s time to relax with your girl, and go snuggle! Enjoy her, she is one pawesome kitty.

  2. Just getting caught up reading your blog, wow! You have done a wonderful job with your girl, she is very lucky to have you! It looks like her recovery has been going so well๐Ÿ’–
    Nice thing about this place… we have all been there in some capacity. Even though the stories are different, we all share a bond.
    It sounds like you know your girl very well and your decision sounds just and sound. Tripawds is a wonderful no judgement zone to share experiences and decisions that are so very personal.
    Huck did not have cancer, he was a feral stray that found us and got hurt. I didn’t have to worry about cancer and chemo, but I did have to contemplate and weigh out the odds of him not adjusting to domesticated life and possibly having to set free a feral tripawd kitty. Thank goodness that did not happen and he is a pretty content semi domestic that keeps the puppy at bay, lol.
    Your Lyla is beautiful and she could not have a better home.
    You have done a totally pawsome job caring for her and seeing to all of her needs. Now that she is mostly recovered it is def snuggle time ๐Ÿ™‚
    Jackie and Huck ๐Ÿ’–

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