Users' questions

What vaccines are most feline sarcomas associated with?

What vaccines are most feline sarcomas associated with?

These sarcomas have been most commonly associated with rabies and feline leukemia virus vaccines, but other vaccines and injected medications have also been implicated.

Can a vaccine cause a sarcoma?

An uncommon but serious adverse reaction that can occur with injection sites, including those sites where vaccines are administered, is tumor growth (sarcomas), which can develop weeks, months, or even years after a vaccination.

Can vaccines cause lumps on cats?

Cats will commonly develop a lump at the site of a vaccination, typically caused by inflammation and local immune stimulation. These lumps are typically benign and will resolve spontaneously a few weeks after they are noticed.

How common is injection site sarcoma in cats?

Feline injection-site sarcomas (FISS) are malignant skin tumours of mesenchymal origin that develop in 1–10 of every 10,000 vaccinated cats. The pathogenesis of this disease is unknown.

How long do cats live with sarcoma?

The average survival time is 6-12 months following the appropriate therapy.

Why do cats get injection site sarcomas?

Injection site sarcomas arise at sites where the cat previously received an injection. Tumors are caused by vaccines (feline leukemia virus and rabies vaccines), microchips, injections of long-acting antibiotics, long-acting glucocorticoids, lufenuron, and reaction to nonabsorbable suture.

How long does a cat live with sarcoma?

The average survival time is 6-12 months following the appropriate therapy. Palliative therapy can be used in lieu of aggressive/curative-intent treatment options in cases where the tumor is not considered to be operable.

How long do cats live with injection site sarcoma?

In general, these are difficult tumors to treat and cure is rare. Surgery alone can offer an overall survival of 12-16 months and the longest prognosis is given when an aggressive first surgery is done by a board-certified veterinary surgeon.

How long can a cat live with untreated sarcoma?

With clean margins and no additional treatment, median disease free interval is 276 days and median survival time is 576 days. With clean surgical margins and radiation therapy, the disease free interval is one year with a median survival time of two years.

How do you treat sarcoma in cats?

How is it treated?

  1. Surgery. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for injection-site sarcoma.
  2. Radiation Therapy. Radiation therapy may be performed either before or after surgical removal of the tumor in order to treat any residual tumor cells that may remain after surgery.
  3. Chemotherapy.

Is sarcoma in cats curable?

Soft tissue sarcomas that are low to intermediate grade and can be removed completely with surgery have an excellent long-term prognosis. Following complete removal, the majority of these tumours will be cured.