PNST in a dog.

Dr. Marie replied:

This is a tough question to answer because a peripheral nerve sheath tumor is really not a common diagnosis.

I won't be able to give you concrete answers but I can give you some information on this type of tumor.

The tumor originates from the sheath which is the covering outside of a nerve. They can be painful, but it sounds like you caught this one early and so lack of pain doesn't mean too much at this point.

The histology report is likely accurate. Nerve cells and myelin (the sheath) have a very particular appearance. If the vet says that they are not sure if they got all of the tumor then it likely means that the histology report indicated that there was no margin of tumor free tissue. In other words, it looks like there may be more cancerous cells still on Jake.

Unfortunately a PNST is something called a locally invasive tumor. This means that it is not likely to spread to organs, but it is quite likely to grow back at the original site.

The best thing to do here really is to see the oncologist. They will give you the best idea of prognosis and the best treatments. It's possible they could recommend another surgery to go back and remove more tissue around where the tumor was. Or, they may recommend radiation therapy. This can work well for PNSTs but can be pricey. Dogs handle radiation well. In some cases they may talk of chemotherapy as well.

Now to talk about prognosis. It is possible, that despite the histology report, the vet did actually remove all of the cancerous cells. If this is the case then Jake could be completely cured. If not, then on average, with radiation following surgery, most dogs live an additional 3-5 years before the tumor resurfaces.

This will be a tough call for you to make decisions because there are a lot of variables. I would highly recommend the oncologist visit, even if you are not thinking of further treatment, because this vet can tell you even more than I can. I do not have much experience with this type of tumor and am just telling you what the textbooks say. The oncologist will have personal experience with PSNTs and can share real data with you.

I hope everything is ok!

Dr. Marie


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Dr. Marie replied:

You're very welcome! I really hope everything works out well!

Dr. Marie.

Dr. Marie replied:

I have to apologize. I just read over my answer and I had several spelling errors! I was typing my answer while my 4 year old little girl was begging with me to play with her before she went to bed. :)

I've corrected the errors, so if anything didn't make sense, it should read better now.

Dr. Marie.