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If cost isn’t an issue because insurance, then yes, please discuss with your vet what kind of biopsy, possible complications (and how common or rare they are), and if there is a recovery period and what to expect from that.
I know my initial hesitation with biopsy is that Krista did not have a mass. She had thickening of the intestinal walls. To biopsy that, they would have to remove a chunk of her gut walls—what they call a full-thickness surgical biopsy—so they can evaluate all the layers and not just the top layer that an endoscopy would retrieve. Fine needle aspirate was not an option. She did have a fine needle aspirate of her liver and came though that just fine without missing a beat. No recovery period.
The other reason I skipped a biopsy (and probably common among others who responded) is because Krista’s ultrasound notes were clear. It was either IBD or small cell lymphoma. No mass. No mention of large cell lymphoma. So my treatment options were treat for IBD or treat for small cell lymphoma. In her case, we tried one. It didn’t work. We tried the other. But that’s not what Charlie’s ultrasound indicated. And you have to make a decision on Charlie’s diagnostics. Not Krista’s
So there are different cancers, different biopsies, different drugs, and different opinions on what to do. We here can speculate and give our opinions and experiences. But at the end of the day, not one of us is qualified to make a recommendation for his treatment.
I’m glad you’re discussing the options with your vet. He’ll be far more valuable to Charlie’s treatment than us here. And whatever you decide to do, you’ll have a better peace of mind about that decision when you make it with the best information available. Just make sure you ask and ask again if there’s anything you’re not sure about or don’t understand.
I know my initial hesitation with biopsy is that Krista did not have a mass. She had thickening of the intestinal walls. To biopsy that, they would have to remove a chunk of her gut walls—what they call a full-thickness surgical biopsy—so they can evaluate all the layers and not just the top layer that an endoscopy would retrieve. Fine needle aspirate was not an option. She did have a fine needle aspirate of her liver and came though that just fine without missing a beat. No recovery period.
The other reason I skipped a biopsy (and probably common among others who responded) is because Krista’s ultrasound notes were clear. It was either IBD or small cell lymphoma. No mass. No mention of large cell lymphoma. So my treatment options were treat for IBD or treat for small cell lymphoma. In her case, we tried one. It didn’t work. We tried the other. But that’s not what Charlie’s ultrasound indicated. And you have to make a decision on Charlie’s diagnostics. Not Krista’s
So there are different cancers, different biopsies, different drugs, and different opinions on what to do. We here can speculate and give our opinions and experiences. But at the end of the day, not one of us is qualified to make a recommendation for his treatment.
I’m glad you’re discussing the options with your vet. He’ll be far more valuable to Charlie’s treatment than us here. And whatever you decide to do, you’ll have a better peace of mind about that decision when you make it with the best information available. Just make sure you ask and ask again if there’s anything you’re not sure about or don’t understand.