Waiting on biopsy/pathology results- RESULTS ARE IN

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anita1216

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
480
Location
Southeast Michigan
I had to take Boo on Friday to have a small lump removed from his armpit area. I suppose the waiting is killing me :? My poor baby is just six months today and I worry so much about him.
Does anyone have experience with rats getting tumors this young? I just wonder what this means for him long term. The vet didnt seem all that concerned and she said having it removed while it was tiny was the best thing.

I know it was for the best and he has done wonderfully. Hasnt bothered the incision site at all and still comes running to see his mommy (yes, I feel guilty for putting him through it).

So I wait and hopefully the results will be in tomorrow :(
 
6 months is quite young to be developing tumours. At that age, I've only dealt with abscesses.

Hopefully you'll get the results soon.
 
jorats said:
6 months is quite young to be developing tumours. At that age, I've only dealt with abscesses.

Hopefully you'll get the results soon.
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Yeah, thats what really bothers me is his age. I just hate to think this will become a reoccuring thing for this little fella. I hope to hear from the vet this morning sometime :(
 
Called the vet earlier today and it will be at least another week. Oddly enough she told me that it would be today..hmmmmmmm.

Ah well, I guess I can just set msyelf up for the quiet worry and hope its a whole lot of nothing.
 
Waiting is awfully worrisome, I'm sorry the results got put off...
Hopefully the news when it comes will tell you that the worry is over forever and you & Boo can forget this even occured. Glad to hear he's feeling good!
 
I wouldn't let it worry you that the vet now says it will take a week Anita, I've worked in a histo lab in the past and it takes a few days for the tissues to fully be preserved in the stuff before they can actually cut them down to put them on a microscope and look at it.
 
Thanks for the kind words and good thoughts for my "gopher"*. He is such a sweet boy and so squishy already.

I try not to worry, really I do. I just look at my kids and they are so dependant and only have us to care for them. I just feel the weight some days and it gets tough.

gopher- we call him that becuae of his agouti coloring, my daugher and I joke he is a gopher trying to fake it as a rat and live good in the cage :D
 
The vet called this afternoon, results were in. My babys lump was in fact cancer *sighs*. She said it was well encapsulated and removing it should have gotten everything out.

She isnt to terribly concerned, other than the fact this occured so young. Frankly Im horribly upset and scared for his future. She said there was a small chance the cancer could return at some point, its just the way it goes with rats alot of times.

Im just shocked really. I truly thought it was going to be some benign mass and that would be the end of it. I was floored when she told me the mass was malignant. It makes me so grateful I found the lump early and took him in right away. :(

I will be picking up the pathology report in the morning. I was on my way to pick up a new little fuzzy for my best friend when the vet called, so I wasnt able to get over to her office to get the paperwork from the lab.

Lets just hope that things are fine from this point forward and that my Boo does well and has no need to go back to see the vet for a very long time.

Thanks for listening and virtually holding my hand..it means so much!!!!!! *hugs* everyone.
 
There are some cancers that are localized and/or don't return if enough healthy tissue was removed at the time of surgery.
I had a rat with a malignant mass at 23 months, it was removed and never recurred. He lived to be 29 months old.
 
anita1216 said:
The vet called this afternoon, results were in. My babys lump was in fact cancer *sighs*. She said it was well encapsulated and removing it should have gotten everything out.

She isnt to terribly concerned, other than the fact this occured so young. Frankly Im horribly upset and scared for his future. She said there was a small chance the cancer could return at some point, its just the way it goes with rats alot of times.

Im just shocked really. I truly thought it was going to be some benign mass and that would be the end of it. I was floored when she told me the mass was malignant. It makes me so grateful I found the lump early and took him in right away. :(

I will be picking up the pathology report in the morning. I was on my way to pick up a new little fuzzy for my best friend when the vet called, so I wasnt able to get over to her office to get the paperwork from the lab.

Lets just hope that things are fine from this point forward and that my Boo does well and has no need to go back to see the vet for a very long time.

Thanks for listening and virtually holding my hand..it means so much!!!!!! *hugs* everyone.
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Hang tight Anita, my first female, Tara, was diagnosed with a malignant tumor which we had removed. Her tumor was, however, not well encapsulated.

Her cancer returned but it took a long time and by that time she was already over 2 years of age. The vet told us that the only thing preventing him from removing the second tumor was the fact that she was too old and would probably not survive the anesthesia. My mom had her put to sleep humanely.

What I am trying to say is that your little dude has a good chance that his tumor will either never come back, or if it does, it could take as long as it took for Tara's to return. You have the good fortune that the tumor was isolated so I think that your little dude has a really good chance. :)
 
Thanks everyone. He is his spunky busy self and thats always a wonderful thing. Im just going to hope for the best and keep a close watch on him as he ages.

Rats will age you with thwe worry thats for sure :D
 

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