Good news, I think ! Should I still do the biopsy?

Well, our kitty with the pea-sized lump under the chin.... she was given the corticosteroid shot on Tues and it's been shrinking ever since. Now, I barely feel anything... I really have to search and even so I am not sure if it's just fascia at this point. Also, her sores on her legs seem to be healing, as the scabs are now brown not red (that means it's healing, right??)

So my question is: she is scheduled for a biopsy for the lump on Wed. Will there be any reason to biopsy it? Could it be related to that allergic rxn she had on her legs? Kinda looks like flea allergy from what I've read here and elsewhere. She's also much friskier! Actually, much friskier than normal - hoping that's ok!

I made her an appt for Monday for him to recheck, but we need to decide whether or not we will attend a wedding out of town. I will not go if she needs surgery or is not ok... but if the corticosteroid injection helped... can I reasonably assume that it was no big deal all along?

I need some advice.

I have not seen her medical/vet history and am not a vet (just a human doc, lol) so I can only tell you that if it were one of my cats, I would have the biopsy done just to be certain.

It's a hard call--some nasties can shrink when steroids are injected and then get bigger again as the steroids wear off. Would the vet give you some advice over the phone if you asked the question? Certainly the vet would have a better feel for what it might be...

:fingerscr

I suggest you speak with your vet and ask if biopsy should still be done. Personally, I would most likely proceed with it.

She has a follow-up on Monday (biopsy is sched for Wed), and I'm also going to put in a call to have the vet call me back tonight.

I thought steroids only helped cancer symptoms, not the actual tumor (???) If the bump is completely gone, what would they biopsy?

Just trying to get a feel for things. I want SO MUCH to believe that everything is going to be fine!

I thought steroids only helped cancer symptoms, not the actual tumor (???) If the bump is completely gone, what would they biopsy?

Just trying to get a feel for things. I want SO MUCH to believe that everything is going to be fine!

:grouphug: Worrisome time... But there's a very good chance that everything will be fine! :fingerscr So don't change your wedding plans just yet.

As to your question, steroids might reduce swelling around a tumor, sometimes even the tumor itself--for example, I have a benign mass on the sole of my foot that cortisone shots can reduce if it gets too big.

Maybe your vet will decide on Monday he doesn't need to do the biopsy right away. That would be good news! :D

Steroids are used for a wide variety of illnesses - not just cancer. Actually, they are not that common as a cancer med. (Depends on what kind of cancer of course, cancer is really more than one illness - tho they have the common thread of malformed cells that like to cause havoc with normal tissue!). Of course, there are many different kinds of steroids as well. (Not all of them good!)

Well, if there is any trace of a bump still there I will insist upon the biopsy.... she's a senior cat and I think it will be safer for her to have it excised now rather than later.

I did some more research on mast cell tumors (dont know if thats what this is but I've read probably every page on the internet about cat lumps and it certainly fits the criteria)... and it says that corticosteroids can and usually do shrink mast cell tumors. I know they're usually benign but I don't want it to ever turn malignant and her be too old to remove it, know what I mean?

The mass is VERY small now. I have to gently squeeze her chin to even feel it .. if I just run my hands over her chin I can't feel anything. If I didn't know it were there, I'd have no idea.

How long will a corticosteroid shot stay effective in her system? Also, can it make a cat hyper? He didn't give her the full amount b/c she is overweight and he didn't want to induce diabetes.

generally a biopsy may come out inconclusive if the tumour is given corticosteroids. Really talk to your vet before hand to ask if it is going to effect the biopsy results at all.

so if corticosteroids can shrink a tumor, can they make it disappear entirely? As in, if the thing is completely GONE , what will they biopsy? They plan to remove the thing entirely... but if it's not there anymore.. what the heck would they excise?

I'm so frustrated over this whole thing! :yell: She has no other symptoms whatsoever... acting completely normal (although now drinking more b/c of the injection)

I don't believe corticosteroids are likely to eliminate a cancerous or even benign mass entirely. I believe they usually act to reduce inflammation caused by the tumor, but the mass remains.

The vet will reevaluate your kitty during the followup appointment and then give his opinion on whether something needs to be removed or not.

So take a deep breath and relax :grouphug: I know it's frustrating to wait, but you don't want to get sick over it. A few more days won't make a difference, except in your peace of mind. For sure ask for a call from the vet tonight and ask your questions--he might be able to set your heart at ease a bit for the weekend. :fingerscr

:goodvibes:s for Monday!

Thanks everyone :grouphug: I did put a call in for the Vet to call me later this evening (he has evening hours tonight). So hopefully he gets back with me soon. And either way, she has a follow-up on Monday.

Do they typically give topical meds for allergic rxns? I'm wondering if he will give me anything to help the scabs on her legs. They don't seem to bother her too much (which is why I didn't notice them until after they were proliferative) but I'd like them to be gone!

The mass is VERY small now. I have to gently squeeze her chin to even feel it .. if I just run my hands over her chin I can't feel anything. If I didn't know it were there, I'd have no idea.

How long will a corticosteroid shot stay effective in her system? Also, can it make a cat hyper? He didn't give her the full amount b/c she is overweight and he didn't want to induce diabetes.


It's great that it's shrinking, I think. I hope that is a good thing and that she won't even need the biopsy! :goodvibes:

As for the hyper, be very wary of this especially in an overweight cat. Last year when Fagan got his first shot he hurt his knee (luxated patella) just a few days later. The depo/cort type shots work well for skin issues but also have a side effect of weakening the joints... bad news for overweight cats. His knee kept going in and out of place for almost 5 months before it healed and in the beginning there was even talk of having to amputate the leg... needless to say it was an ordeal. It doesn't affect all cats the same but I would be careful to keep a close eye on her and be sure all high spots have 'ladder' options for climbing rather than jumping. (Fagan did it just leaping down from the table.)

Oh and I did write in the other post.... yes the brown is good, scabs turn brownish before falling off. I just noticed today Fagan's are also starting to turn and peel. (Although he still insists on bothering his boobie, so I will have to get the one more shot on Monday:rolleyes: .)

Oh and I did get a few different topical meds for this (we spent a year trying to find the combo that worked)... and all I found was that the creams seemed to irritate him more and cause him to lick the spots even more. (We even tried making him wear the c collar but it was just too mean.)

Yes, krdahmer... thanks for the reassurance about the brown spots! I did see the other post, but got sidetracked. I've never seen a scab turn that color before, I guess! That's terrible about the joint, thanks for the heads-up on that one!

I see black "muck" around the area where the scabs are. I'm not sure if this is flea dirt? I hope it is so I can stop worrying about skin cancer, etc. It's in her fur, and just looks "mucky" for lack of a better word. I don't know how else to describe it really. It's not ON the scabs... but rather in the crevice of her leg/groin... the scabs are down a little bit from there.

I agree with those who spoke about corticosteroids. Don't put too much reliance on them - they are NEVER a cure, just an adjunct to therapy and one that can come at a cost if used unwisely or for too long! (Please note my experience is with humans, I would not actually allow my cats to have them unless it was so serious that I had no choice. I do have to admit that I once had a bad fall and cortisone - a rather mild by comparison to some in this class - helped me considerably in the ER. However, given later, it would not have been that good. That said, that help came with a not so uncommon severe reaction to the medication in that I was black and blue and had a very rate low activated coagulation rate and as a board certified hematologist, I knew all too well what that meant!!! The cortisone had affected my blood's ability to clot. This is not unusual though so I should in retrospect have been prepared. I did not take any pain meds that would have enhanced it either!

That said, as a scientist, I am loathe to rely on anecdotal or personal experiences and especially when we are discussing another species. I have to occasionally prescribe steroids but I do it very hesitantly and only if absolutely necessary!!! It does NOT cure cancerous growths - if it did, its developer would win the Nobel prize. ;) . I do wish vets wold take the necessary courses available about this medication. Mine did and she became a much less aggressive promoter of it after that.

That said, they do have their place when used judiciously - and since your kitty only had one injection (I am assuming here, have no idea of the dose), he will probably be just fine. Cortisone actually works very well for some people and doctors who now use it in orthopedic situations inject much lower doses than was the case even 10 years ago.

I really think you need to go ahead with the biopsy - it is a good way to know for sure!! Just because the lump is decreased - while a very good sign - does not mean whatever caused it has disappeared. That is what you need to know,. Why did he have a lump in the first place. A lump/growth/tumour/lipoma/whatever of any kind is not an illness- it is a symptom.

It does sound as though your cat will be just fine but as a precaution, the biopsy will let you know. And you will all feel better for it I am sure!! I think if he had cancer at this stage, there would be other symptoms - his blood work would show something for example.

Good luck!!! I wil lthink good thoughts!!

Well, she hasn't had any blood work done as of yet. Vet said that would be before the surgery (excision and biopsy). But, again, no systemic symptoms whatsoever, thank God!

She received one injection, and only 0.75 of the regular dose as a precaution since she is overweight.

I guess my big concern now is whether or not I should view the shrinking as a reason to feel some relief or not.

I honestly don't know - I would rely on the test results more than what you see of the lump though on the surface, it would seem to be good news. I would wait for the full picture though and try not to wrry - I know it's hard , I panic at minor issues and I know better, lol

If she is eating well and seems fine, that is a good sign.

Thanks again, everyone, for your help/encouragement, etc. Poor kitty has been through so many changes in the past month.... moving very long distance, being uprooted (she stresses a lot), trying to settle into a new place, meeting new people and now this - her lump and her suspected allergic reaction (scabs, etc).

Have you tried to run a flea comb through her fur? (not where the scabs are of course) This would maybe answer the black muck question. If she had the advantage most of them should be dead anyhow.

didnt try the flea comb but the scabs seem to be getting flakier and a little lighter... and the chin bump is gone as far as I can tell. So I'm really hoping for good news at her follow-up tomorrow!!

Sounds good so far, LittleMomma! :thumbs up Best wishes for tomorrow! :fingerscr

Just keep doing what you are and things will slowly get better. In humans they won't do more than two corticosteroids in a year because it can be very damaging due to increased risk of errosion and injection error. The reason that they don't do biopsies after corticosteroid injection, especially right after, is because it can cause the finding to be inconclusive. Personally I wouldn't want to put my animal through a biopsy to know that there is a high possibility that they might have to do it again. Talk to the vet, they are the only ones that will know.