My dog had a growth removed. Is it cancer? Will it spread to organs?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Regardless if benign or malignant, removal should be considered to try to make her more comfortable. How likely it is to come back after removal will depend on what kind of growth this is and how malignant it is. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These tumors have not been particularly well-studied and the literature available on them is very limited. However, based on the limited literature and my experience with this disease, the metastatic rate is usually low to moderate with the most common metastatic site being the local lymph nodes (inside of the abdomen) with about 40-50% chance, the abdominal cavity (carcinomatosis) about 30% and the lungs about 20%. This is why it is crucial to have imaging (abdominal ultrasound and thoracic radiographs) prior to surgery to ensure that there is no evidence of spread before proceeding with surgery. In some instances, even if there is evidence of regional metastasis, it is still recommended to proceed with surgery. The benefit of using chemotherapy for this tumor is unknown and for this reason we do not typically recommend it. Feel free to request a consultation with me if you have more questions about Ava. I deal with this disease commonly. Good luck with your girl!

Non-ractive warts and other growths which do not cause the dog to chew on them are usually not of concern provided they do not grow, or grow very slowly and are not oozing a discharge, bleeding or causing infection. That said, every growth should be examined by a veterinarian, as it could indeed be malignant. Previously benign masses can also turn into malignant masses. As for cancer cells spreading in the body from being ingested: that would depend on the cancer. If the mass is cancerous and just in the skin, it is likely that removing it with a good margin (healthy tissue surrounding it) may be curative. Your veterinarian will have to examine the mass and palpate it and may want to remove it right away, or do a fine needle aspirate to determine whether it is indeed a cancer. Since it is bothering your dog and Nisha is chewing it , there is a chance that it could get infected, another reason to have it examined ASAP.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rolo! From the biopsy report Rolo had hemandiosarcoma which is a very aggressive cancer of the blood vessels. We most commonly see if on the liver, spleen or right atrium of the heart. By the time it has grown it has microscopically spread else where. It is a very aggressive cancer and even with chemotherapy/radiation and surgery most dogs get more or less than 6 months after diagnosis. I do not think anything else would have cured Rolo. I am very sorry for your loss.

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is difficult to say for sure what these tumors are just by looking at photos. However, that being said, the light pink mass I would suspect to be benign / non-cancerous and it looks like what we call a sebaceous adenoma. The dark purple mass looks a little more suspicious for a malignant / cancerous mass. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine both to be on the safe side. The vet can insert a small needle into both masses and look at their cells under the microscope, a test called a Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA). I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please remember to rate this answer as helpful or not. Thank you!