Post-vaccinational sarcoma

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Sections available in full article Introduction, Presenting signs, Geographic incidence, Age predisposition, Pathogenesis, Etiology, Timecourse (incubation, duration), Diagnosis, Presenting problems, Client history, Clinical signs, Diagnostic investigation, Confirmation of diagnosis, Gross autopsy findings, Histopathology findings, Differential diagnosis, Treatment, Standard treatment, Prevention, Control, Sequelae, Prognosis, Reasons for treatment failure, Sources, Publications, Vetstream contributor(s),
Contributors Dr Laura Garrett DVM DACVIM (Oncology)
Dr Irene Rochlitz BVSc MSc PhD
Mr David Scarff BVetMed CertSAD MRCVS

Introduction

  • First reported early 1990's  Suspected adverse reactions to vaccination  .
  • Low incidence (relative to number of vaccinations performed).
  • Cause : tumor develops at site used for vaccination.
  • Signs : soft tissue swelling usually between scapules, locally aggressive.
  • Diagnosis : histopathology.
  • Treatment : surgical excision with wide margins.
  • Prognosis : guarded.
    Print off the owner factsheet Feline injection site sarcoma  Feline injection site sarcoma  to give to your client.

Diagnosis

Clinical signs

  • Firm swelling in subcutaneous tissues.
  • Mass generally not painful.
  • Mass may be fixed to underlying structures.
  • Mass poorly defined.

Diagnosis

Differential diagnosis

Other causes of soft tissue swelling
  • Other neoplasia.
  • Inflammatory reaction at site of vaccination.
  • Abscess  Abscess  at vaccination site.
  • Hematoma.

Sequelae

Prognosis

  • Guarded : may recur locally or metastasize.

Reasons for treatment failure

  • Inadequate surgical margins.
  • Metastasis present prior to surgery.

Sources

Publications

Refereed papers

  • Seguin B (2002)Feline injection site sarcomas.Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract.32(4), 983-995
  • Hershey A Eet al(2000)Prognosis for presumed feline vaccine-associated sarcoma after excision - 61 cases (1986-1996).J Am Vet Med Assoc216(1), 58-61.
  • Brearley M (1999)Vaccine-associated sarcoma-an emerging problem.JESFM1, 5-6.
  • Macey D W (1999)Current understanding of vaccination-site associated sarcomas in the cat.JESFM1, 15-22.
  • Esplin D G, McGill L D, Meininger ACet al(1993)Post-vaccination Sarcomas in cats.JAVMA202, 1245-1247.

Other sources of information

  • Ogilvie G K & Moora A S (1995)Managing the Veterinary cancer patient: A practice manual.Veterinary learning systems.pp515-518.
  • Kass P H, Barnes Jr W G, Spangler W Let al(1993)Epidemiologic evidence for a causal relation between vaccination and fibrosarcoma tumourigenesis in cats.JAVMA203, 396-405.
  • Macey D W (1994)Vaccine associated sarcomas.In:Proceedings of the 12th Annual American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum, San Francisco, GA.pp 854-856.

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