Lung cancer diagnosis in 10-year-old

Question
My 10 year old Peekapoo Bailey was recently diagnosed with lung cancer.  Tumor is about the size of his heart.  Biopsy says it's malignant, but surgeon believes it is self contained right now, in situ.  We will see our vet today to talk and learn.  But I wanted an outside opinion.

We are thinking about avoiding surgery and treating with meds.  What can we expect with surgery and follow up treatments?  What can we expect without surgery, and treatment only with medicines?  What would be your choice if Bailey were your pet?

Answer
Wow Howard, this is a hard one.
Let me just tell you what I went through. I recently lost my almost 14 yr old dog to a cancer that metastasized to her lungs. It started on her left leg as a small tumor that went away after we injected it. Two years later it came back and wouldn't go away. It became very painful for her, so I spoke to my vet and then also another vet that I trusted.

The consensus was that surgery was an option,but there was no way of knowing if it had already spread. I had the tumor removed from her leg and she did really well for 2 months. Then the cancer decided to invade her leg as well, all the while going into her lungs.

I had to put her down the day after Thanksgiving. She had the surgery on July 8th. The point is, that either way, I lost her. Do I regret her having the surgery? No, only because it was on HER LEG. It was better than amputation, which is what everyone wanted me to do. If it had been a back leg, yes, I would have, but it was a front leg.

If my dog had lung cancer, I would NOT have surgery done, not on a 10 yr old dog, depending on what the PROGNOSIS was before surgery. Are they giving you another year or two if it's done? Then do it. If they are telling you six months, then you will get that with medications most likely, without putting your dog through the hell of recovery.

So it's a very hard choice to make, but make it on the long or short term prognosis. I don't have anything to do with cancer treatments, but they are a lot like human ones. If you do chemo it's the same- everyone but your dog gears up because the drugs are so toxic, and then they give your dog an infusion over a period of time.

Since I am not a vet and can't give you a prognosis, you really need to rely on your vet for that. I hope that you are able to make the choice that YOU CAN LIVE With, because it is YOU that will beat yourself up if you think you made the wrong one.

Ask questions over and over until your vet is open, honest and transparent with you. Tell them you need an HONEST appraisal of the situation, not a pie-in-the-sky-one. Ask them to repeat anything you don't get. Don't be intimidated, JUST ASK.

Your vet, if they are worth their degree, will be honest if called on to do so. Everyone wants what's best for your dog- so make sure that your choice follows what your heart feels is the right thing to do.

Wishing you and your dog the best... please let me know the outcome if you can..