From:
Lisa Shortley
Date: 2001-04-07 17:15:00 UTC
Subject: Re: islet cell carcinoma - more questions and clarity
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., AFERRETVET@c... wrote:
> It will be interesting to see what the path
> report says about that lymph node.
> Jerry Murray, DVM
Hi Drs Murray and Williams,
Here is the verbatum copy of Sterling's histopatholgy report. I
sincerely look forward to your take on this and your feelings as to
what this means. Thank you so much for your input in this matter
thus far. It is so nice to be able to hear others' opinions on
this. While I know that regardless of what the pathology says, it is
Sterling that is going to make that ultimate decision as to how well
he is going to do - it is so nice to have a basic idea as to what to
expect. FYI, he's recovering really well from his surgery. He's off
pred totally and is going for his BG on Friday (which puts us at two
weeks after surgery). So far, no episodes and his energy is
increasing daily. Anyway, here it all is:
BIOPSY
Microscopic Description:
The specimen consists of a section of pancreas and a lymph node. The
architecture of the pancreas has been disrupted by a neoplasm
composed of moderately homogeneous epithelial cells arranged in nests
partially separated by thin incomplete fibrovascular septa. The
cells are characterized by round to oval open nuclei, one nucleolus,
and scant to moderate eosinophilic slightly granular to vacuolated
cytoplasm. The mitotic rate is 1-5 per high power field. Neoplastic
cells extend into the adjacent fat and exocrine pancreatic tissue.
The architecture of the lymph node has been partially effaced by
metastatic neoplastic epithelial cells identical to those seen in the
pancreas. A thin rim of normal lympphoid tissue is present around
the neoplastic infiltrates.
Pathological Diagnosis:
1. Islet cell carcinoma, pancreas.
2. Metastatic islet cell carcinoma, pancreatic lymph node.
Comment:
Median survival time of ferrets with pancreatic islet cell neoplasia
is reported as 16 months (483 days) and 10.3-17.5 months in two
separate articles. median disease free interval (DFI) is reported as
8 months (240 days) and 10.6 months respectively. However, with the
pressence of an islet cell carcinoma which has metastasized to a
lymph node, the median survival time may be significantly less.
Ref: JAVMA 209: 1737 and 1741-1745, 1996. Neoplastic cells extend
focally to the margins of the pancreatic biopsy. The lymph node
appears adequately excised.
SO, there it all is...I really look forward to hearing what you
think. It sounds as though, even though you both said it is rare,
this is what has occured with my Sterling. Please advise and help
translate some of the more technical parts and I'm really hoping that
you'll tell me that I'm overreacting (but I understand if you can't
tell me that!).
Thanks so much,
Lisa Shortley