cat fluid in lungs

Question
I just got back from the vet, they took an x-ray of my cat because she was having trouble breathing, hasn't been eating, and has a lump on her head.  She lost 2 lbs and has fluid all in her right lung so he said it has pretty much collapsed.  They called later to tell me the fluid has cancerous cells and white blood cells in it.  They said I can pick up steroids, antibiotics and lasix for her in the morning. She is about 8 1/2 years old and has been healthy all this time until now.  She looks like she is really struggling to breath and is in pain. I'm going to ask them when I go in if this will cure her or just prolong life and make her more comfortable.  I'm wondering how much this will cost and if it will cure her and or just prolong her life?  Any advice?

Answer
Patty,

You know your cat best, if she seems like she's in pain and struggling to breathe then trust your instincts. You can take her back to the vet to discuss what is best for her, but ultimately I suspect you will only be prolonging her life rather than curing her underlying issue if there are cancerous cells and white blood cells in the fluid that was tapped from her lung. My advice during this difficult time would be to take a look at her QUALITY of life - is she able to comfortably eat, drink, breathe, play, change positions, etc? If not then it may be time to talk to your vet about doing something to improve her quality of life and if that's not a possibility then the kindest option may be to have the vet put her to sleep. I know that most definitely isn't what you want to hear, and I know just how your heart must be breaking. Please know that you are in my thoughts and if you want to discuss this further or you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me again at any time... I am more than happy to offer any help or support that I can.

Kind regards,

Ali