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Lump and Tumor Diagnosis
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The Lipoma is one of the most commonly encountered lumps seen by veterinarians during a physical exam. These soft, rounded, non-painful masses, usually present right under the skin and are usually benign. Benign masses stay in one place, do not invade surrounding tissues and do no metastasize to other areas of the body. Occasionally, lipomas will continue to grow into huge fat deposits that are a discomfort to the dog and present a surgical challenge to remove. And even more rarely, some lipomas will be malignant and spread throughout the pet’s body. We cannot predict with 100% accuracy what any of these lumps or bumps will do. We can remove them when indicated or keep a close watch over them so at the first sign of change we can remove them.
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 Not every lump or bump on your pet is a tumor. Some superficial bumps are caused from plugged oil glands in the skin, called sebaceous cysts. Skin cysts can be composed of dead cells or even sweat or clear fluid and will often rupture on their own, heal, and then never return. Yes, the sebaceous glands in the skin do occasionally develop into tumors called sebaceous adenomas. Fortunately this type of skin growth rarely presents trouble after being surgically removed.
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Different Types of Lumps and Tumors
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Non-cancerous lumps: Cysts, warts, infected hair follicles, hematomas (blood blisters), and others do cause concern and can create discomfort for the dog.
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Cancerous lumps: Cancerous growths can be either malignant or benign, and occasionally even share characteristics of both. Malignant lumps tend to spread rapidly and can metastasize to other areas of the body. Benign growths tend to stay in the place of origin and do not metastasize; however they can grow extremely large proportions. Mammary gland tumors, mast cell tumors, cutaneous lymphosarcoma, malignant melanoma, fibrosarcoma, and many other types of tumors command respect and diligent attention from the owner and veterinarian.
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Finding a Diagnosis
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 Impression Smears
Some ulcerated masses lend themselves to easy cell collection and identification by having a glass microscope slide pressed against the raw surface of the mass. The collected cells are dried and sent to a pathologist for staining and diagnosis. |
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 Needle Biopsy
A needle biopsy is performed by inserting a sterile needle into the mass, pulling back on the plunger, and "vacuuming" in cells from the lump. The collected cells are smeared onto a glass slide for pathological examination. |
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 Radiography
X-ray evaluation is generally used when collecting evidence of internal masses. Most lipomas are superficial and reside under the skin or skeletal muscles. Other lumps can be palpated by the veterinarian during the physical examination, however, the extent and origin of the mass is often best revealed via x-ray. |
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Treatment of Lump and Tumor
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Since every type of cell in the body potentially could evolve into cancerous tissue, the types and ferocity of tumors that develop in cats and dogs are numerous and highly varied. Each case needs to be evaluated on its own circumstances and variables. A small growth may be a melanoma that could metastasize to other areas of the pet’s body.
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Surgery: An important basic tool in eliminating a nuisance or dangerous lump is to surgically excise it. Since a definitive diagnosis simply cannot be made without microscopic examination of the lump’s cells, it is crucial that the lump be shipped to a veterinary specialist in pathology.
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