What does a mass on the spleen mean in dogs?
Hemangiosarcoma
Hemangiosarcoma of the spleen, or spleen cancer in dogs, is a cancer that is diagnosed in many canines every year. Splenic masses can sometimes be seen with abdominal radiographs but are most often diagnosed with an abdominal ultrasound.
How long can a dog live with a splenic mass?
Benign splenic masses are effectively cured with surgery. Unfortunately, survival times with surgery alone for dogs with hemangiosarcoma may be 2–3 months or less. One year survival is less than 10%. Ultimately dogs die from metastatic disease. Chemotherapy may increase survival times up to 6–8 months.
What can cause a mass on the spleen?
PRIMARY TUMORS OF THE SPLEEN
- Vascular tumors. Benign. Haemangioma. Lymphangioma. Littoral cell angioma. Haemangioendothelioma.
- Lymphoid tumors. Hodgkin’s disease. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Plasmacytoma. Castleman’s tumor.
- Non-lymphoid tumors. Lipoma, angiolipoma. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Fibrosarcoma. Leiomyosarcoma.
Can hemangiosarcoma be misdiagnosed?
Even when a tumor sample is obtained, there is always the potential that the selected section of tumor that is submitted for histopathologic evaluation is not representative of majority of the tumor, and a misdiagnosis can be made.
Can you feel a splenic mass in dogs?
Signs and Diagnosis Clinical signs of a splenic mass are commonly due to rupture of the mass and internal bleeding. These signs, which come on suddenly, include acute weakness or collapse, pale gums and a rapid heart rate. As the internal bleeding progresses, the abdomen becomes distended with blood.
What causes spleen tumors in dogs?
Non-cancerous reasons for splenic tumors or splenic enlargement include various infections, immune-mediated diseases, and obstructions to blood flow through or out of the spleen.
What percentage of spleen tumors in dogs are benign?
Overall, studies report that there is about a 50:50 chance that a splenic mass in dogs will be malignant (cancerous) versus benign. If the mass is an incidental finding and the dog is asymptomatic, one study indicated that 70.5% of canine patients are benign, which is good news.
Does hemangiosarcoma show up in blood work?
There is presently no readily available, effective test for early diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma. Careful analysis of blood samples by experienced pathologists may hint at the presence of chronic hemorrhage and blood vessel abnormalities that are suggestive of hemangiosarcoma.
Can hemangiosarcoma be detected in a blood test?
The first question we asked was, “Does the blood test accurately detect the presence of hemangiosarcoma in dogs?” The answer is an unqualified, “Yes.” Our results show that the test accurately identifies dogs in which hemangiosarcoma is present about 90% of the time.