My dog has normal MCT in spleen. Is it mast cell tumor metastasis?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It depends on the Vet's experience with reading cytology. Most Vets send out their cytology samples to a specialist who is trained to read them. Mast cell tumors have a classic look and tend to be one of the easier tumors to diagnose. You could ask your Vet to send the slides out since that only takes 1-2 days to get them back but sometimes aspirates do not get you an answer. I know you have surgery set up and a biopsy planned. That is the best thing for Precious, to get the mass off and know what it is. It has a high chance of being benign. It is a good thing it hasn't grown much. I wish you the best!

I’m glad you are getting Sunny help from your vet. MCTs can be very scary. These tumors can be very dangerous and should be removed promptly. Grading a tumor just by a FNA can be very difficult or impossible. I’ve looked at the slides and agree with your vet that a MCT is a definite possibility here. Sending the entire mass so that it is known if it was completely removed is important. Also, there are special stains and viewing criteria that help a pathologist to grade the tumor properly, but I think they need more tissue than just an aspirate.

Those do not look like MCTs, they do not look like tumors at all. They appear to be cysts or warts. If a dog has masses around the mammary glands they are typically not MCTs but adenocarcinomas. I have never heard of MCTs arising after being spayed. I suggest you have her back to your vet for a follow-up exam.

Since both the tumors were low grade and have not yet metastasized there is no indication to worry about an abbreviated life span at this time. Since your dog is so young and has already had 2 MCTs he will likely have more pop up in the future. It's important to have any little lump or bump you find on him to be checked out by your vet. The sooner they are removed, the less likely they are to spread.

It doesn't look like a MCT, but they can take on different appearances. It maybe a benign growth or skin tag. The only way to find out would be to have Buddy examined by your veterinarian. A fine needle aspirate can be done in the clinic to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a diagnosis. In the meantime, monitor it for rapid change or growth. Consider having it removed if it causes pain, impedes motion or changes rapidly.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This depends on many factors. It depends on where the main tumor is located, if it has spread to other organs, among many other factors. Even high grade tumors can have a good longterm outcome of years of survival when treated aggressively with surgery and chemotherapy if there is no evidence of metastasis to internal organs. However, if there is already spread to internal organs like the liver and the spleen, the survival times tend to be closer to 3-4 months even with chemotherapy. Staging to check for metastasis usually includes thoracic radiographs, abdominal ultrasound and assessment of the local lymph nodes. At the very least, I recommend medications like Pepcid, Benadryl and prednisone that can help with these cases when there is still evidence of a mass present. Good luck and have a good night!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry that Max has a lump. FNA (Fine needle aspirate) is the name of the procedure your vet performed. Some types of cancers, including Mast Cell Tumors, will exfoliate (give off) a lot of cells when this procedure is performed, and have a very classic appearance under the microscope. Therefore yes, this is a proper procedure and diagnostic test. I would recommend that you chat with your vet about staging (looking to see if the cancer has spread to other locations of the body- usually using ultrasound and chest x-rays), and if it has not, have the tumor removed. Ensure you chat with your vet about if they are comfortable doing the surgery to get proper margins (3cm diameter and 3 facial planes) or if a surgical specialist is required. This will depend on the location of the mass. Best of luck with Max, hopefully it is a low grade and will be cured with surgery!