Pre-Surgical Planning

In order to formulate a comprehensive plan for the treatment of cancer, it is necessary to answer some basic information regarding the extent of the disease process- this process is termed tumor “staging”. Often performed at the initial visit, tumor “staging” consists of 3 steps:

Identification of tumor type (What is it?)

- This step is often achieved by a fine needle aspirate, a process used to obtain cells for identification of tumor type.
- In some cases, a preoperative biopsy may be required prior to removing the entire tumor. This is particularly indicated when tumors have not been identified by less invasive means and cannot be easily removed in entirety (for example, tumors of the face or paw).

Determine the extent of tumor invasion (How big is it, is it deeply attached?)

- Determination of local invasion can be simple- involving palpation of the mass by the veterinarian during physical examination.
- For certain tumor types, advanced imaging techniques such as ultrasound, CT scans or MRI’s may be required to assess local tumor invasion. Each of these imaging methods is available through our veterinary specialists at Veterinary Specialists of Rochester.

Evaluation for metastasis (Has it spread to the rest of the body?)

- Many tumors spread through the lymphatic system (lymph nodes) or the blood stream
- Evaluation for lymphatic metastases is performed by sampling the lymph nodes that drain the area of the tumor
- Evaluation for distant spread of the tumor is commonly performed by evaluating the lungs (chest x-rays or CT scan) and liver (abdominal ultrasound) using non-invasive imaging techniques.