Mast cell tumour

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char.lotte

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My boy has just been biopsied and its come back as a mast cell tumour with secondary infection. Antibiotics immediately, surgical removal once infection is gone, CT scan and radio therapy is what my vet has said he needs. Does anyone have any experiences with this? What is our future looking like? And has anyone had radiotherapy done before and be willing to share the costs? I already know he will have a defect, but I want to know how likely it is that he lives a happy healthy life for another 15 years tumour free?
 
I'm so sorry for you, what a rubbish diagnosis 😕
I don’t have any direct experience, but I wouldn’t blame you for thinking about the cost and likely reoccurrence and considering your options carefully; I wouldn’t personally treat a horse for cancer without an absolute assurance
 
Sorry to hear about your horse. Several years ago my lad had a pea size lump come up on hi neck right near his mane. It grew fairly quickly over the next month or so. Vet came out and syringed the goo out of it, it was dark red/ brown. It was filled again the next day. It was recommended he went it for it to be removed which it was and fortunately no issues since, that was 7 years ago.
 
LadyGascoyne said:
Where is the tumour? And have they given a reason why a wait and watch approach wouldn't be appropriate right now? Mast cell tumours can be slow growing.
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Just inside his nostril. It needs removal due to chronic infection, the infection was so large they didn't think it would be a tumour initially.

I've come back on after some thought, he's booked to have it removed and though the biopsy found it is benign, they will do three courses of chemo. Thanks for all the responses they have been very helpful.
 
That sounds promising news. My horse has one near his lip but it doesn’t affect eating or riding. He’s had it 6 years I think and the decision was to leave it and monitor. It hasn’t changed hugely. It took quite a while for the vets to decide what it was. Wishing you well with your horse.
 
That all sounds very promising. I had a pony who developed a mast cell tumour inside her nostril too. It initially began as a prick from a blackthorn which became infected and the mass was thought to be an abscess. It took a few weeks before a diagnosis - partly due to biopsy results getting lost! She was an old pony with other issues so we decided not to go down the treatment route and sadly was pts when the tumour became too bothersome for her. Pleas keep us posted with your progress - I often wonder whether I should have gone down the treatment route. I wish you and your horse well.
 
winnie said:
That all sounds very promising. I had a pony who developed a mast cell tumour inside her nostril too. It initially began as a prick from a blackthorn which became infected and the mass was thought to be an abscess. It took a few weeks before a diagnosis - partly due to biopsy results getting lost! She was an old pony with other issues so we decided not to go down the treatment route and sadly was pts when the tumour became too bothersome for her. Pleas keep us posted with your progress - I often wonder whether I should have gone down the treatment route. I wish you and your horse well.
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I'm so sorry to hear that. Waiting on the results of benign/malignancy I had to prepare to put him down, I said if it was malignant he would have a ct to see if it had spread and if it had he wouldn't have the surgery (he would have a few nice months before being pts the moment it became trouble) because a horse at work had internal tumours which ultimately killed her and it was absolutely awful to watch. When she started declining she declined so quickly I didn't want him suffering like that.
I've been told that his has been there long term (I found it four days into owning him) and the infection was absolutely massive - think double and a half the size of the tumour. When he went in for the biopsy they said they just thought it was a massive, chronic infection from something like a blackberry thorn/ bit of chaff etc getting up there but results confirmed mast cell. If you don't mind sharing, how quickly did the tumour progress? I am assuming if it got too bothersome it would have been malignant, usually they don't cause a problem do they? Theres not a lot of info out there!
 
char.lotte said:
I'm so sorry to hear that. Waiting on the results of benign/malignancy I had to prepare to put him down, I said if it was malignant he would have a ct to see if it had spread and if it had he wouldn't have the surgery (he would have a few nice months before being pts the moment it became trouble) because a horse at work had internal tumours which ultimately killed her and it was absolutely awful to watch. When she started declining she declined so quickly I didn't want him suffering like that.
I've been told that his has been there long term (I found it four days into owning him) and the infection was absolutely massive - think double and a half the size of the tumour. When he went in for the biopsy they said they just thought it was a massive, chronic infection from something like a blackberry thorn/ bit of chaff etc getting up there but results confirmed mast cell. If you don't mind sharing, how quickly did the tumour progress? I am assuming if it got too bothersome it would have been malignant, usually they don't cause a problem do they? Theres not a lot of info out there!
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No, not much info out there. This was about 6 years ago and at the time I could find very few even slightly similar cases. It sounds like your horse's tumour began in much the same way as ours did. We noticed the initial prick in the January and didn't think much of it. The abscess developed a couple of weeks later and grew quite large. Initially the vet treated it as an abscess but then took a biopsy. Incredibly, despite me constantly ringing for results I kept being told they hadn't come back yet and it transpired that they had lost the results in their spam folder!!! I the meantime the mass obviously irritated the poor pony and she kept rubbing her nose on the wall, causing it to bleed. I was referred to Oakham where they discussed whether they could remove the tumour and decided it would be possible. But, because the pony was old and had other issues and by April I decided not to put her through the treatment. So from what you say it must have been malignant as it progressed quickly and certainly did cause her irritation or pain and I don't think she would have coped well with thew treatment and aftercare. I guess it was the right decision in her case. Luckily yours is benign.
 
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