My older dog has a benign plasma cell tumor. Can it be malignant?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Overall, from what I'm reading and seeing, I have a low level of concern about Mukwa. This lesion does not look typical of a mast cell tumor (though that type of cancer does not always follow the "rules"). In general, non-cancerous things do not become cancerous with time - though there are exceptions. Occasional vomiting is not necessarily something I equate with Mast Cell Tumors, but does warrant a chat with your vet to see if it's something worth looking into. More concerning signs to me would be decreased appetite, weight loss, or lethargy. Best of luck to you and Mukwa!

The rate of growth does not necessarily correlate to malignancy - some benign tumors can appear suddenly (such as a histiocytoma) and some malignant tumors can grow slowly (such as a soft tissue sarcoma). I will say that I would agree that the masses in your picture look benign, but my eyes aren't microscopes and ultimately the pathologist will be able to determine what these masses are. Try not to worry too much over the next few days - you'll have an answer soon!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Cooper. Your veterinarian can submit the samples she collected and send it to a pathologist prior to his surgery. This can help to guide the surgery. However, some times these results can be inconclusive. The mass removal surgery with submitting the entire mass is the best way to reach an accurate diagnosis. Another type of round cell tumor is a plasmacytoma. The other types you mentioned are more common though. I hope this information helps!

I am afraid your question was cut off. This is indeed quite a big tumor. Some tumors can be so-called mixed tumors, so when a biopsy is taken it is possible that in such a mixed tumor the biopsy is only made up of benign material. Unfortunately this could mean that there still is a component of malignancy in such a mixed tumor and this could have happened, if now the tumor appears malignant. Since your question got cut off, I suggest you ask your question again so we can be of service and help you with your query.

Unfortunately any skin mass can be cancerous but the good news is that most are benign. The only way to know for sure is the have a small sample of the mass collected and examined under the microscope. I recommend for Pepper to see his veterinarian. Sometimes the doctor can tell by palpation but other times they need to see the cells. Anytime you have a dark colored mass, melanoma is on the concern list. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for your questions about Plutia. Most skin masses are benign and it’s not uncommon for dogs to get multiple skin masses (sometimes they are the same, sometimes not). Any time you see a new mass, I recommend to have it checked out by your veterinarian. One way to eliminate worrying is to have the masses aspirated. The doctor will collect a small sample of cells and look at it under a microscope. Then you will know what types of masses are present and if they are benign, then you don’t need to continue worrying. If they are malignant, then you will want to have them removed and she may require further therapy. I hope you find this helpful and please feel free to post any further questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Technically, there are no benign testicular tumors that happen commonly though the ones that do happen do not tend to have an aggressive course even though they are malignant. Common ones include seminomas and Sertoli cell tumors. Have a great day!