Oral mass

writingislove

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Has anyone had a cat with an oral mass that turned out to be benign? Looking for a little bit of hope here after reading so many horror stories.

Background: I took my cat Orville in for emergency care a couple of weeks ago for some GI issues, and while he was there the vet discovered a mass in the back of his mouth. They said it was unrelated to his GI symptoms (which did resolve), but said it could be cancer and I need to have it biopsied. I'm getting him into his regular vet next week but in the meantime, I'm worried sick. Orville is eating, drinking, and playing, and doesn't have bad breath, bleeding, drooling, or facial swelling.

I do know there is a probability of oral cancer, but looking to see if anyone had an oral mass biopsied that turned out to be less scary.
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. If the mass is actually visible, can the vet do a fine needle aspiration (FNA) in lieu of an actual biopsy? It would most likely still require some level of sedation, but not total anesthesia and no recovery time from an actual cutting away of tissue. I would also ask about a CT to see if that would help. Just some things to ask.

There are a number of types of growths that are NOT malignant. I am thinking a polyp, maybe??? So, given that your cat is doing well otherwise, don't worry too much just yet!

Hoping other members come along soon with more experienced responses than I can give.
 
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writingislove

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Hi. If the mass is actually visible, can the vet do a fine needle aspiration (FNA) in lieu of an actual biopsy? It would most likely still require some level of sedation, but not total anesthesia and no recovery time from an actual cutting away of tissue. I would also ask about a CT to see if that would help. Just some things to ask.

There are a number of types of growths that are NOT malignant. I am thinking a polyp, maybe??? So, given that your cat is doing well otherwise, don't worry too much just yet!

Hoping other members come along soon with more experienced responses than I can give.
Thank you so much for the reply.

Quick update: We saw Orville's vet today and she said the appearance and location of the mass aren't what she would expect for oral cancer, but we can't rule anything out based on that alone. She did say we could try an FNA but it wouldn't be our definitive answer. Orville also has a broken tooth in a different part of his mouth that needs to be extracted, so she said while they have him under anesthesia for that, they may as well remove what they can of the mass (its location/size make that relatively simple) and they'll send it off for biopsy so we know for sure what we're dealing with. This will all be happening Thursday, so I'll update once we know more.
 

FeebysOwner

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A bit of a promising note from the vet! I hope all goes well, and certainly look forward to you sharing what you find out. Good luck to Orville - and you - on this upcoming procedure. We are rooting for you both! :goodluck::crossfingers::crossfingers::crossfingers::crossfingers:
 
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writingislove

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Latest update: Orville had surgery yesterday to have the broken tooth extracted and the mass removed. Sadly once the doctor took x-rays and actually started to remove the mass, she's now quite concerned we ARE dealing with oral cancer. She's leaning toward the possibility of osteosarcoma, but we won't have biopsy results back for 1-2 weeks most likely. I'll update again once we have those results back. I'm trying so hard to stay positive but it feels much harder now.
 

fionasmom

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Try to stay in the present with Orville as much as possible, even though it is understandably very hard right now. He probably needs some TLC to recover from the procedure. Please let us know what you find out.
 

silent meowlook

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Osteosarcoma is very rare in cats. Unfortunately Squamus cell carcinoma is more prevalent in oral tumors. Just try to keep him happy as you can for now. Worrying won’t do any good. I know, easier said than done when it comes to not worrying.
 
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writingislove

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Biopsy results update! The tumor is benign!

Orville has an odontogenic fibroma. Although it's not cancerous and it's slow growing, he's being referred to a feline oncologist to discuss treatment options to tackle the bit of the tumor his regular vet wasn't able to remove so it doesn't continue to grow and cause more problems down the road.

It's so rare for an oral tumor in a cat to be benign that our veterinarian was actually shocked when she saw his results. She had been prepared for a much different conversation with us, so we're feeling quite grateful and relieved!
 

fionasmom

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Thank you for sharing such great news! Getting an opinion from the oncologist is still a good idea as even benign tumors can grow and become irritating.
 
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