Chemo for 14 year old kitty

My kitty is almost 14 years, with a history of fatty liver disease. He now has been diagnosed with probable IBD and is on prednisone. The vet also said that he is likely in the very early stages of lymphosarcoma, but can't be absolutely certain without a biopsy. My question is should I put my beloved kitty through the ordeal of endoscopic biopsy and chemo at his age and with his condition? I don't want him to suffer any more than he has to. Does anyone have experience with this, as well as the cost of such treatment? What is the best and worst that could happen in terms of prognosis and quality of life? Thanks in advance for sharing your advice/experience.

[opus88]

I am so sorry to read this about your kitty....can you tell me where the tumor is located, is it the bowel?
I really have no direct info I can give to advise you inregards to costs and prognosis, but I can help by finding a few sites and directing you to some info.


IMO only, 14 is quite an advanced age and with the other health problems he has its going to be very hard on him.
I will give you a site on a common chemo drug that is used to treat Lymphosarcomas so perhaps that reading will answer some questions, I will tell you I also do know that this drug is very strong and can lead to secondary malignancies/leukemia....so even the drugs used to fight cancer can lead to other cancers....just not fair is it.
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_chlorambucil.html

I will also give you another site....for a herb that is being widely used by Vets for some forms of tumors. Its non invasive(no surgery) and is also an alternative to chemo.
the Dr at this clinic will work over the phone with your Vet...sorry but I have NO idea as to costs involved.

http://www.buckmountainbotanicals.net/index.html

Last but far from least I will give you another site...that has members with first hand experience with Lymphomas and the treatments avail. here you can talk with others directly involved.
I just want to wish you and kitty all our very best from this cat community, you have our love and our prayers....please come back and update us occasionally♥

http://www.felinelymphomacaregivers.org/cases.html

[montesmom464]

Thank you so much for your prayers and the links you sent. I will look them up. The cancer has not formed into a tumor yet. My kitty is just showing abnormal cells which appear to be cancerous. They are in the abdomen. The dr said he wouldn't be able to diagnose completely without an endotopic? biopsy. Does anyone have experience with how invasive this procedure is?

[opus88]

Well just speaking from a human perspective its really not that invasive. an anesthetic would need to be used and a tube put down kitty's throat to the abdomen and a small specimen removed to be tested, its well worth having done so you know what you are dealing with............the dr. is just ASSUMING cancer......don't ever go on just assumptions, find out for sure, and if this is cancer and still at the abnormal cell stage, it could well be treated early and successfully with lower doses of chemo than if it had grown into a tumor. so find out whats going on, talk to the others that have gone thru this on the caregiver site....but I would YES definitely go ahead with the biopsy....best of luck.