Dog Anal Sac Adenocarcinoma Symptoms and Treatments

An adenocarcinoma is a malignant tumor of any soft tissue. An anal sac adenocarcinoma is a form of cancer much more common in female dogs and is thought to be hormone related, although as yet there is no confirmed evidence available. It does not appear to be an inherited trait.

It is an extremely aggressive and invasive type of cancer in the female, particularly since it is associated with high calcium levels in the blood. Calcium hyperplasia causes such conditions as arthritis, hip dysplasia and renal failure.

Diagnosis is confirmed by a number of routine tests including blood tests and serum chemistry levels. Palpation of the area will add confirmation to the diagnosis. Chest and abdominal X-rays will need to be done to ascertain the presence of growths, and a fine needle aspiration biopsy taken to confirm the diagnosis.

The treatment of choice in suitable patients is excision followed by radiation to halt the growth and shrink the size and then chemotherapy to kill the malignant cells. Treatment is then needed to deal balance the calcium levels if present, and to treat any existing renal disease, and careful follow up over the years to deal with any subsequent growth before it becomes too large.

Treatment for the female dog is usually only palliative since the prognosis for this condition in female dogs is extremely poor. However in the case of male dogs it appears the prognosis can be good and that they will often pull through if it is caught early enough.

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