Message Number: SG10990 | New FHL Archives Search
From: twistedelf@uomail.com
Date: 2004-10-08 05:01:54 UTC
Subject: Possible options for Thymoma patient - please help.
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <6341778.1097211714539.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>

My four year old neutered male, Kai,began showing syptoms of cariomyopathy and upon having his chest x-rayed, we learned that his chest cavity was full of fluid. The doctor drained the fluid and sent it for analysis. In the interim, Kai was given an ultra-sound examination which revealed a large mass in his chest with everything else looking very normal. A biopsy was taken of the mass in his chest via an ultra-sound guided fine needle. The cytology on the chest fluid came back with nothing alarming, but results from the biopsy of the mass indicated Thymoma.

Knowing that lymphoma is much more common, and that a fine needle aspirate is not the best diagnostic method for thymoma, we decided to pursue further testing - believing that this must really be lymphoma.

We took Kai to an oncologist, where we had a complete blood workup done as well as an abdominal ultra-sound exam and a second biopsy - this time with a large needle - giving us a decent sample of the tissue from the chest mass. The blood work came back with low white cell and platelet counts, but no indication of lymphoma, and the ultra-sound revealed that his internal organs appear normal and healthy with no nodes, growths or abnormalities in size,shape etc. Again - no sign of lymphoma. As we wait to hear the results of the second biopsy, we are more and more convinced that we may be facing thymoma, as rare as it is.

I read in the archives of a ferret in Canada that was diagnosed with thymoma and successfully operated on, and I was led to believe by what I read in the archives that surgery is the preferred, if not only, option for this condition. My oncologist, however, is suggesting that radiation may be another option. Does anyone know anything about the efficacy of radiation on this type of tumor? And even if radiation is an option, is surgery still likely to be the better choice as the radiation can't guarantee that the tumor will be reduced, eliminated, prevented from growing or neutralized? Please help.