lymphoma in guinea pigs

Question
we have recently noticed a lump on my guinea pigs stomach, and we took him to the vets to have it checked out. the vet noticed another similar lump, on his side, and has said that his joints are a bit swollen. she has said that she thinks that it is lymphoma, but is unsure and says it could also be some disease she hasnt heard of. the vet has also said to just leave the guinea pig, for the time being - until it get worse - as the guinea pig seems very healthy - bright eyes, happy, shiny coat and healthy appetite. i was just wondering if you have come across anything like this, and if you have any advice about what to do or any more information. thank you.

Answer
Actually I have come across this before. The big issue is how far are you willing to do to diagnose and/or treat this? Special testing, biopsies, CT scans, ultrasounds, etc. are not cheap. Realistically the success rate for treating malignancies in guinea pigs is not high. So I can understand your vet saying, "Wait and see."

If you have the finances and the willingness to go all out to treat the unknown that has to be a personal choice. Many times they live their entire life span with a tumor that doesn't seem to affect their quality of life. The average life span of a cavy is 4 to 5 years. Some live longer, some not that far.

I think your vet's evaluation is an appropriate one. Your little guy just may go on to be happy and otherwise healthy until it's his assigned time to go. Again it's a personal decision and I doubt that your vet would feel you weren't making the right choice if you chose not to get aggressive with treatment.