spindle cell cancer in doberman

Question
my 7 year old female dobie has just been diagnosed with spindle cell cancer and I would like more info on this type of cancer and treatment.  Unfortunately the tumor is just below the eye, hard and immovable.  thank you

Answer
Spindle cell carcinomas are tumors that usually develop in connective tissues. They are malignant tumors and it is very important to carefully evaluate your dog's overall health.

A complete blood screening should be done as well as
X-rays taken of the chest looking for spread of the tumor. It is best to take three views, a view with the
patient laying on her right side, then left side and a view taken with the patient lying on her back or upright on her chest. Taking three views gives the best chance of finding a tumor if one is there.  Looking carefully for
any similar tumors on a physical exam would be a good idea, too.

If the bloodwork is normal and the chest clear, then surgery would be the next step...removing as much of the tumor as possible (by a specialist as it sounds like she will need a bit of cosmetic/reconstructive surgery of the eye).

If the surgical excision margins were clean (reported by a pathologist from biopsy) and there is no evidence of spread of the tumor on X-rays and physical exam (and possibly in the local lymph node) then it may be reasonable to do nothing else at this time.

If the surgical margins are not clear of tumor cells then radiation therapy would be a good idea. Radiation treatment works well in preventing recurrence and spread of these tumors, with a long increase in survival
time ( 4 to 5 years) reported for patients receiving radiation treatments as long as the tumor grade is low (1 or 2).

If tumor has spread--radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy may help but the prognosis is very guarded.


In addition, feeding an all natural diet that is free of dyes, preservatives and by-products to boost up the nutrition level will help her heal more quickly....even feeding some raw food.  Supplementing the diet with a variety of anti-oxidants such as E, C, CoQ-10 is a great idea.   And finally, adding some anti-cancer supplements such as Transfer Factor Plus www.my4life.com/drfry  www.transferfactor.com  will definitely help her fight this.


GOOD LUCK!
Dr. Fry