Anyone’s cat had liver cancer?

[Sweett00th]

My 15yr old boy who has hyperthyroidism, high bfp and kidney issues recently had ct scan due to his eye and the scan showed a mass on his liver.

We are looking to further investigate but I wanted to ask if anyone’s cat had cancer of liver and how this is treated.

We had a cat who did. Sadly, he died back in 2007 following surgery to remove the tumour (he went into respiratory arrest overnight). He was around 12 or 13.
Obviously, veterinary medicine will have changed in that time but I don't know if I would put a 15 year old cat with other health issues through the surgery.

Poor mite, that must of been tough. I’m hoping the ultrasound and mini biopsy where they put needle in liver to get cells will give answer as to mass but want to speak more with vet

It was and I wish we hadn't put him through the op and leave him be until it was time.
I would definitely speak more with your vet. Ours had the ultrasound and fine needle aspirate (I think it's called) beforehand but I seem to recall it was all a bit inconclusive other than there being a growth. It was sent off for analysis and was cancerous.

I posted quite recently about my own 15 year old cat and having to make the decision about what to do. She was really getting very poorly, and blood tests showed a problem with her liver. She didn't have other health issues, apart from arthritis.

Yes, we could have opted to have a scan done, but the tests were going to become more and more invasive - possible sedation for the scan, and then looking at a biopsy etc. And then possible surgery for whatever they found. The vet felt that there was probably a growth in her liver, and was quite honest with us and said that, in a 15 year old cat who was clearly quite unwell, there wasn't going to be a happy outcome.

She was losing weight, wanted to eat but couldn't, and was becoming "quieter". We made the sad decision to have her put to sleep. It was a horrible time, but I absolutely know that we did the right thing for her.

A cat with hyperthyroidism, high bfp and kidney issues has even more issues to contend with.

I can't possibly imagine a good outcome for this.

I have a 15 year old cat with kidney issues, and have had one with thyroid issues and a mass on the liver would be it for me - I've seen enough of humans going through investigations just to find a diagnosis and then not actually be able to have a treatment, or a treatment that was worse than the disease.

My cats don't like going to the vet, I'd just take it that we knew something potentially very bad was there and be on the look out for when the cat had had enough.

I think what worries me is with the needle biopsy and ultrasound that it could be inconclusive in which case DH would then no longer investigate.

I’m so in two kinds with that even and still awaiting on that vet who did ct scan to come back to me.

My boy is eating and seems ok just his thyroid needs to be managed more.

Sorry I meant DH a d I agreed we would no longer want to investigate by him having surgery biopsy.

I find it helps to think about what ifs and work backwards.

Would you ever give chemotherapy to your cat? For me the answer would be no.

So working back from that, there is no point in me giving my cat a biopsy for a liver lesion, as no way is the cat having chemotherapy.

This way, this decision turns out to be made.

If the vet has a very convincing argument that whatever it is could be cured with one surgery alone, I might be prepared to do that.

So decision would be different.

When my cat was much younger she had a huge mass on her back. I was fairly sure it was benign, but had it removed on the basis that if it wasn't we would be know her life was short and not make her go out in the rain, feed her what she wanted and generally spoil her.

It was benign so back out in the rain she went.

She's got another one now - am leaving it on the basis she's 15 and the stress to her isn't worth it and we now spoil her anyway.

You just have to make your decision based on what is right for the cat at the time. I wish you and your cat all the best.

Thanks for this, very helpful

DCat had secondary liver cancer (one of many secondaries from a lymphoma on her bowel). Inoperable, she hated vets, so we opted for steroids and palliative chemo only. She only lasted 5 weeks, and my biggest regret was not PTS earlier. She was only 6. Cancer is a horrible way for an animal to go - they get frailer and skinnier, and just cease to be themselves.

I think now if I got a terminal diagnosis for a pet where it was a matter of weeks, I'd PTS immediately (or maybe one last weekend of every treat the cat could possibly want).