Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is the most common form of spleen cancer in dogs. While the cancer can be difficult to detect, this painful ailment can at times be treated using various techniques including surgery and chemotherapy.
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Symptoms
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While symptoms of HSA can vary, they often include abdominal swelling, sudden or chronic weakness, collapsing, loss of weight and lack of appetite.
Short-term Treatment
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According to PetCancerCenter.com, it is "imperative that pets with cancer are provided with pain medication to relieve discomfort caused by the disease," as tumors can cause large amounts of pain.
Long-Term Treatment
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Along with pain medication, those who wish to further treat their pet with spleen cancer first opt for surgical removal of the HSA tumor. When surgery is not an option, chemotherapy drugs have been shown to help significantly shrink spleen tumors.
Prognosis
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Although treatment is at times successful, HSA is an extremely aggressive form of cancer that often spreads quickly to surrounding organs. For this reason, even the swiftest treatments often cannot cure a dog with spleen cancer. Approximately 10 percent of surgically treated dogs live one year after being operated on.
Future Research
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There are currently several clinical trials being conducted on dogs affected by HSA. These trials are meant to improve treatment and detection methods.
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