What are Spleen Tumors?
Tumors or growths can affect the spleen. The type of tumor depends on whether it arises from the immune system cells, blood, lymph vessels, fat cells, connective tissue, or other sources. Tumors may be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). They will be classified as either leukemias or lymphomas if cancerous based on the type of white blood cell involved.
Spleen tumors are common in dogs and even more so in cats. They occur much less frequently in horses and cattle. Other than routine imaging to rule out other diseases, it is not warranted to check for this condition until your pet begins to show symptoms.
How does this tumor start?
Tumors may arise from the immune system cells, blood vessels, fat cells, or other sources. Most spleen tumors develop by a process called metastasis (the spread of cancer to another part of the body). Only rarely is a primary tumor located in the spleen known to be malignant.
What are the most common spleen tumors in cats?
The most common tumors in cats are lymphomas and hematopoietic neoplasms. Hematopoietic neoplasms form from cells of the bone marrow, which help develop blood cells. These tumors, perhaps most commonly leukemia, can be either malignant or benign, depending on their type and growth rate.
How do we find it?
Tumors in this location often go undetected until they have become quite advanced. This organ is located deep within the body cavity and not readily accessible to routine diagnostic techniques such as palpation (examination by touch), ultrasound, or radiography (x-rays). Therefore an enlargedleen may only be detected when it is vast or begins to block other organs in the abdomen.
Tumor cells are commonly found in the blood, especially the red blood cells, because they can pass through tiny blood vessels within the tumor. Routine laboratory testing may detect these circulating tumor cells before other clinical signs are present. Studies have shown that many tumors produce different substances (cytokines and enzymes).
Some of these substances may be detectable with laboratory testing before any visible enlargement of the spleen, although most cases will not be diagnosed until an enlarged spleen is palpable. A positive test result only indicates that neoplasia has developed somewhere in this animal’s body and does not mean it is located in the spleen.
How do we treat this tumor?
As with any tumor, treatment will be directed at its size, location, and whether it has metastasized (spread to other body areas). Most of these tumors are treated by chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Gentle exercise is also beneficial for strengthening your cat’s cardiovascular system during treatments, which can help increase their ability to tolerate treatment drugs.
What happens if I don’t treat this tumor?
If your veterinarian feels that your pet may benefit from surgery or chemotherapy/radiation, then that option needs to be explored immediately. If not treated, it is possible that these tumors can expand to fill up all available space in the abdomen, causing severe organ compression and even death. On rare occasions, they may break through the abdominal wall or through other body structures to form tumors in distant body areas.
Tumor cells may also spread throughout the lymphatic vessels to regional lymph nodes, thus prompting them to enlarge. Some veterinarians feel that this is why cats with advanced lymphoma experience enlarged, painful cervical (neck) lymph nodes before they are evident elsewhere within the body. These enlarged nodes are visible on physical examination and can be felt by palpating the neck area.
spleen tumor symptoms:
A Spleen Tumor symptom is a solid tumor that originates in the spleen. A Spleen Tumor Symptoms may be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Most hematological and bone marrow neoplasms arise from the pluripotent blood cell line called hemocytoblasts, often derived from lymphoid or myeloid stem cells to form one of several leukemias.
Lymphoma, melanoma, neuroblastoma, teratoma, and germ cell tumors are typically well-differentiated embryonal cancers giving them a much better prognosis than other non-blood cancers originating in the organ.
In contrast, most liver cancer tissues are poorly differentiatedatocellular carcinomas with a worse prognosis, and most lung cancers arise from highly undifferentiated small cell carcinomas. The Spleen Tumor symptom is usually characterized by a large mass that proliferates and may be associated with poor blood counts, producing anemia or low platelets.
spleen cancer treatment:
The Spleen Tumor is usually treated through surgical removal of the spleen and sometimes radiation treatment and chemotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells. Sometimes before surgery, a radiological procedure called a splenectomy can be done to give how much tumor is present. The hormonal therapy Tamoxifen has been found to reduce breast cancer risk in women with mutated BRAC1 or BRCA2 genes. Still, no data supports its use in treating other types of cancers.
Different cancers have different symptoms depending on where they are located in the body. A lung tumor may cause coughing up blood, chest pain, difficulty breathing, etc., whereas if it comes from the heart, you might experience irregular heartbeat, etc.
When it comes to the spleen tumor symptoms, you may experience pain near your left shoulder, enlarged spleen, and other such signs. So you must keep an eye on the changes in your body and get yourself checked by a doctor if any such characters come up.
what cancers metastasize to the spleen:
The Spleen Tumor symptoms may depend on the type of cancer.
• Cancers of the blood cells: Acute lymphocytic leukemia, Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, Myelodysplasia syndrome
• Cancers of the air passages and windpipe (bronchopulmonary cancers): Bronchioalveolar carcinoma, Lung cancer
• Bone cancer: Metastatic bone tumor; Osteosarcoma; Chondrosarcoma; Ewing sarcoma; Giant cell tumor of bone
These are some examples of spleen cancer symptoms. It also depends on where your tumor is located in your body. So if you experience any such changes, you should immediately consult your doctor.
Spleen tumor symptoms:
A Spleen Tumor symptom is usually diagnosed through blood tests that determine the presence of any cancer cells, imaging techniques like MRI to show up where the origin of the tumor is, and a biopsy to show if it is malignant or benign. If you experience any such discomfort, you must consult a doctor for further diagnosis and treatment.
Bacterial endocarditis causes:
Bacterial endocarditis is an infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves, which leads to inflammation and destruction of cardiac tissues. This can result in the development of heart failure, stroke, damage to other organs, and death.
There are different types of endocarditis based on the part of the heart affected by an infection like infective endocarditis (IE), which is an infection of the inner lining of heart chambers typically caused by bacteria or fungi, rheumatic endocarditis (RE), which occurs due to autoimmune diseases, and drug-induced endocarditis, etc. The most common cause for IE is Streptococcus viridans group bacteria that lead to dental infections called Dental Caries.
Also, certain medical conditions can be a possible cause for this problem like cancer treatment side effects with the use of anthracycline antibiotics, leads to the formation of tiny blood clots in your arteries leading to heart attack or stroke, bacterial endocarditis caused by non-human oral bacteria, certain drugs are known to cause IE like amiodarone which is used for treating heart failure and irregular heart rhythm.
spleen tumor diet:
A Spleen Tumor diet is usually designed with the help of a nutritionist depending on your condition that decides if you need to eat smaller portions more frequently or lose some weight.
You can either opt for a low FODMAP diet which will reduce short-chain carbohydrates in your food while increasing the amount of non-absorbable fermentable sugars to ease bloating symptoms. Or choose plant-based foods rich in dietary fiber like legumes, vegetables, fruits, etc., or whole grains pieces of bread cereals, etc.