liver tumour ? cancer ? need a good oncologist in London

[pierredelune]

I am a new member, one of my cats (Davros she is the mum of my 2 other cats), a little 10 year old brown tabby devon rex, weighs 4.6 kg, she eats well and is a bit quiet but still plays a bit, with a feisty personality. She was behaving a bit tired and her stomach was huge. I wormed her with no effect and brought her to the vet.
He found she had a tumour in the abdomen, huge. After a first ultrasound on Tuesday, he said she had very little or negligeable chances of surviving, and gave me options: do nothing, euthanise her or exploratory surgery to remove what could beremoved thengo for chemiotherapie if it was cancer.

She was operated on this afternoon, and he called me to inform me that the tumour is the size of a fist, on the liver, inoperable because removing it would section the liver from the rest of the body. Impossible to biopsy because he was worried it would "pop" and release toxins into her abdomen.

He is closing her up, he does not think chemiotherapy an option, I will need to pick he rup this evening.
I have looked up oncology specialists in London and asked for a referral to the veterinary college of london oncology department, but I am unsure who to see or where to get a second opinion? COuld you recommend someone for a referral ?

I have also booked an appointment with a homeopathic vet for January 15th but I worry she will not live until then.

We live in London UK. Shepards Bush

I am French and I have looked up alternative treatments in support of chemiotherapy, so I have found some interesting treatments in particular mistletoe fermentation (made by Weleda) and other medicines I cannot find in London.

Aaaaaaaarrrgggghhhhh! I disagree with simply just giving up and not trying anything to reduce and delay the tumour growth. What about liver transplants ?

Ok I have been freaking out the past few days and need to concentrate on a positive action plan, the best is to get advice for the refferral for a good veterinary oncologist in London and start there.

[lilynmitz]

I'm really sorry to hear this diagnosis. I lost my Mo to liver cancer, we knew he had a liver problem which we were treating but we only found it was cancer after he unexpectedly collapsed and died when I was out one day, and we did a post mortem. I then looked up treatments for liver cancer, and I'm so glad I never put him through all that. While I loved him beyond all else, and would have given almost anything to have had even a week more than him, he would have suffered more from the horrific treatment than from the cancer, and I just couldn't have put him through it.

If the cancer is this huge, it sounds like it's well beyond treatment, and all you can do is make what time he has left as comfortable and as full of love as you can. Transplant is not possible in cats, and homeopathy or other alternative treatments are futile at this stage. Just fill his life with love, and cherish the remaining time you have together. My Mitz was diagnosed with cancer in his chest cavity a few years ago, inoperable, so we brought him home for his last few days, but sadly he started slipping away soon after he came home, and we took the right decision to let him go with dignity that night, and the vet came round to put him to sleep.

When the diagnosis is this advanced, I'm afraid there is little more you can do. I'm so sorry for what you are facing, but the kindest thing to do is fill his life with love and care right now.

[JulieandBarney]

Please ......I totally agree with Lilynmitz.......don't try to prolong the pain with cures, this can be cruel, and which will not work, cancer has no cure, just to make life as comfortable as possible while they are here and if pain is bad then euthanasia is a luxury us humans do not have....I too felt like you when my last boy had cancer......I wanted to fight with every specialist I could, but the real truth was .....that I couldn't face the truth....in prolonging his life, thuis making each treatment uncomfortable for him, I was just satisfying my selfishness at not wishing to go through the pain of losing him.....please, please don't do this.......transpalnts in animals are not like humans at all.........I truly hope you can see through your obvious grief bless you....please don't make him suffer more....x

[pierredelune]

Thank you for your kind answers, I love my cat she is the sweetest thing ever and I would hate to see her suffer but in a strange twist it seems it is not cancer, I no longer need a second opinion.
I just brought back Davros (a girl) and the diagnosis has completely changed... very bizarre, she seems to have a rare type of parasite that attahched itself to her liver. This has never been seen in the UK or on a cat. our vet is Hungarian and had seen this in Eastern Europe so recognised it...Amazing and much better than cancer.
I asked to see the photos of the parasite it is disgusting, very weird, huge like a fist but like red bubble wrap and knotted around her liver. If poked it can react agressively, a bt like having an alien in her stomach.
I looked this up indeed a biopsy could have killed her immediately, if he had not recognised it was a parasite she would have died ! My vet is super smart ...
She will be put under a treatment that will stop the parasite growing and even though he cannot take it out (because the liver would not survive) it should stop growing. He also says a biopsy could have killed her instantly or spead the parasite to other organs.
So all in all I am very fortunate, she is still active, no pain and happy and can live like this just as long as we stop the growth.
also it is not contagious so my other cats are safe. It is caught by eating an animal who has the parasite, so everyone is safe.

[JulieandBarney]

I am sorry but this seems very strange......exactly WHAT parasite is this that was thought was liver cancer ?.....I have to say that I have never heard anything so odd from a vet, absolutely bizzare..bearing in mimd what was said below:=

He found she had a tumour in the abdomen, huge. After a first ultrasound on Tuesday, he said she had very little or negligeable chances of surviving, and gave me options: do nothing, euthanise her or exploratory surgery to remove what could beremoved thengo for chemiotherapie if it was cancer.

this does not sound right at all........liver cancer first then a parasite ? ........I hate to say this but are you sure this "VET" is not just getting more money from you for this poor cat ?

[lilynmitz]

I'm so pleased to hear that the prognosis is not as bad as you had feared, and well done your vet for spotting this. It sounds like a very unusual condition. Apologies for calling her "he" in my earlier spot - I was replying in a hurry before going out.

I know you love your girl, and you will make sure the right decisions are made for her, but if the worst comes to the worst quality of life is, in my opinion, far more important than keeping them with us for as long as possible, whatever the cost to your puss. We have to put their needs before our own wishes.

I do hope she has many more happy months or years with you. We're here if you need support meanwhile. Do keep us posted, as we would love to know how she gets on.

[Walesgang]

Hopefully your vet is correct on this prognosis. Cancer is a truly awful condition in cats. I lost my cat Luna to lymphoma 3 years ago. We tried chemo, and, whilst we bought a bit of extra time, she lost her battle. We made the heart wrenching decision to let her go when we thought she had been through enough and had no quality of life left. We never regreted giving her a chance with the treatment, nor letting her go.

Fingers crossed your vet is correct, but as Anna has said, it's all about quality v's quantity of life for the cat.

Please keep us posted

[pierredelune]

He showed me photos of the "tumour" and he gave me a referral to see another vet oncologist so I can get a second opinion. I looked it up on the internet and if you look for "echinococcus multilocaris", you can see this 'thing' in other animals and it looks just like what my cat has.
He says he would like to write an article on it because he had never heard of a case like this in the UK and on a cat. He also is making a lot less money because he said he needs to figure out the dosage for the medicine to stop its growth but that it is a condition well studied on other animals and not expensive to treat. He is also cautious and does nt want me to get my hopes up but grees that from a horrible 2 week prognosis we are now at least hopeful it can be controled.
I will get the second opinion but everything he has said seems plausible.

[JulieandBarney]

I truly hope that this works out well for you................and more importantly for the poor cat........x

But as Val has said which I totally agree:-

Fingers crossed your vet is correct, but as Anna has said, it's all about quality v's quantity of life for the cat.

[Crewella]

If you think it is Echinococcus, I would read this, just to be on the safe side:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... 101101.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[honeychild]

Gosh..that makes our ubiquitous round worm a pussy cat !!!

[pierredelune]

yeah it looks a bit like the alien from the movie 'Alien', nightmare stuff and it is huge like a small apple hard made of red bubble wrap... just thinking about it gives me the creeps. I am really really happy it cannot be spread or given to other pets through her.
She is looking good today, quiet but has eaten loads, walked around been massaged and purred, so she should recover from the surgery. I will keep you updated.

[luca-barbara]

Hi Pierre,

sorry to reopen this old thread. First of all: how is your cat after all this time?
I own a cat of 11 or 12 years old, we don't know exactly because he was a stray cat in Rome once.
Now we live in London and his abdomen started to swell and eventually he has been diagnosed
with liver cancer and that there's no treatment and to start to consider to put him to sleep.
I was wondering to ask you if you could be so kind to share the name of the Hungarian vet
who has recognised that your cat was infected by echinococcus multilocaris as I would like
to ask him a second opinion.
Also it would be very helpful if you could share the vet oncologists as well so that we can ask them
as well.

Thank you for your vital help
Warm Regards
Luca

[pierredelune]

Hi Luca,

I am so sorry to hear your cat is not well. A swollen abdomen is not a good sign, you should also get blood samples.
My cat is doing really well, she is now 11 years old, lively and happy even though she is a bit skinny and I feed her kitten food and give her every day some medecine for her parasite. It has been over a year now and she is doing well. liver functions are good, she looks a bit bloated but has recovered her joie de vivre.

Your cat may have liver cancer, but if it is this weird parasite then it is worth checking it out. In any event Attila (our vet) is trustworthy and he can help find the best care in all situations.

So you should go see Attila Wurtz at companion care in Brentford, his phone number is 0208 150 8683. He is the owner and he is truely brilliant.

Tell him you read the article about my cat: Davros and my name is Agat and that I sent you. We have now moved to France but I still write to him every so often.

Attila will have a serious look at your cat and he is really good, he will analyse the situation and do research, he is cautious but very thorough and kind to the animals, he will give you all options. Personnally as long as the cat is comfortable I will go above and beyond and careful a lot of people will suggest to put your cat down so it doesn't suffer... do not let others discourage you. Hang in there and keep me informed. If it is cancer I also found interesting alternative medecines (plants etc) that may help but never got to that point.

Good luck! I hoppe this helps.

xx

[pierredelune]

I forgot, I never found a proper veterinary oncologist, so i would not know who to recommend...
sorry
fingers crosseed you wll not need one.

[greenkitty]

If you can get to Guildford Noel Fitzpatrick has a newly opened oncology practice near the Royal Surrey Hospital. Although it wasn't open at the time, I received excellent care from Laurent at the practice when my cat was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year.

[luca-barbara]

... So you should go see Attila Wurtz at companion care in Brentford ...

Thank you Agat for your prompt reply and kind words.
I will follow your precious suggestions and let you know.

We are living in Kingston upon Thames, so it won't be that hard to reach Brentford

Sorry if I got your name wrong before ..
I know French but only now I can see what your nickname means

[luca-barbara]

... If you can get to Guildford Noel Fitzpatrick has a newly opened oncology practice near the Royal Surrey Hospital ...

Hi Green Kitty,

thank you for this information! It looks ideal honestly.
My cat is not insured (he was already too old for the providers when we entered the country)
so that I won't be probably able to afford the costs of cancer treatments.
But doubtless I can ask for a prime second opinion in this way,
at least to be sure of what's actually happening to my little Thomas.
I don't want to put him to sleep, and if I really will have to,
I want to be 100% sure of what I will be doing.

Thank you very much!
Warm Regards
Luca