Can Lipomas Hide Mast Cell Tumors in Dogs? Q&A | Dr. Brooke Britton

Is that soft lump on your dog just a fatty tumor… or is it something more sinister? Caller Jenny brings attention to how malignant cancers can look harmless.

Jenny’s dog had some soft, squishy lumps that her vet said were simple lipomas, but after she kept pursuing the matter, turned out to be mast cell tumors. The good news is that true lipomas can’t turn into mast cell tumors. So what happened with Jenny’s poor pup?
Veterinary oncologist Brooke Britton joins us again to discuss the similar appearance of fatty tumors and MCTs. And just because one lump on your dog is benign doesn’t mean that every other lump will be. Mast cell tumors can imitate a variety of other lumps and bumps that you might find on your dog, so it is important to do at least a fine needle aspirate to check out any lumps that are new, growing, or painful.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Show:
American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine - https://www.acvim.org/
Dr. Sue Cancer Vet - https://drsuecancervet.com/

Related Links:
Exam Room Series: Mast Cell Tumors podcast episode - https://dogcanceranswers.com/exam-room-series-mast-cell-tumors-dr-demian-dressler/
Diagnosing Dog Cancer with a Biopsy or Fine Needle Aspirate podcast episode - https://dogcanceranswers.com/diagnosing-dog-cancer-with-a-biopsy-or-fine-needle-aspirate/

About Today’s Guest, Dr. Brooke Britton:
Brooke Britton completed her residency training in Medical Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania in 2012, and has been in clinical practice in the NYC and Jersey Shore area since that time. She helmed the Brooklyn and Downtown arms of the Oncology Department for BluePearl Veterinary Partners in New York for the past 9 years, and was an active participant in house officer training and clinical trials during her tenure there. She currently serves as a private consultant and maintains an independent clinical practice. Dr. Britton has lectured nationally and authored several peer-reviewed articles. She has particular interest in hematologic malignancies and the metastatic cascade.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooke-britton-ba8b0b25/

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For episode notes, resources, guest bios and a transcript, please visit https://dogcanceranswers.com/

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