We had a phone consultation with the Oncologist, Dr. Marie Janson, today. It was a great call and really made Tony and I feel better about our choice to pursue Chemo for Hudson.
Things We Learned:
-There are two indicators in a typical blood test that indicate to Dr. Janson how well Hudson will react to chemo. Typically these two indicators (I don’t recall the names) will be at very high levels if the cancer has advanced in Hudson’s body. If the indicators are present in high quantities, it signals that his reaction to chemo would be very poor.
-After the amputation surgery, the entire leg will be sent in to the lab for testing. Within a week we will have a true diagnosis of Osteosarcoma. (Xrays are very indicative of osteosarcoma, but once they are able to biopsy the tumor, we’ll know for sure.) With an official diagnosis, we can start chemo.
-Chemo does not affect dogs in the same way that it does humans. (We knew this, but wanted more detail.) The most common side effect of chemo for dogs is tiredness/lethargy for a short time after the chemo. 20% of dogs experience nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea. However, after his first treatment, we are sent home with drugs to prevent any of these from happening. Odds are that he will be happy and healthy with no visible signs, besides a little tiredness, that he is even on chemo.
-Chemo is administered via IV every three weeks for 6 rounds at a cost of $3000 to $3500.
-We can start chemo the same day the sutures from the amputation site are removed.
