Your veterinarian has recently diagnosed your pet ferret with a form of cancer. Cancer, or neoplasia as it is referred to in the medical world, is the formation of tumors. By definition, a tumor is any abnormal growth of body cells in which cell multiplication is uncontrolled and progressive. A tumor may be benign or malignant.

Benign tumors tend to grow slowly, do not invade surrounding tissues and do not metastasize (spread) to other parts of the body. The word is slightly imprecise, as some benign tumors can, due to mass effect, cause life-threatening complications. The term therefore applies mainly to their biological behaviour. A malignant tumor is one that possesses the ability to invade adjacent tissues and spread distantly to other areas of the body (metastasize). Just because a tumor is diagnosed as malignant by a pathologist does not mean that the patient will progress rapidly to death. The actual prognosis depends on the type of tumor, its differentiation, and the stage (extent) of disease. The term malignant is typically applied to cancers that show aggressive behavior characterised by local invasion or distant metastasis. A benign tumor usually does not recur if completely removed surgically whereas malignant tumors are more likely to recur after surgical removal.

To answer the question as to whether a mass or growth on your ferret is benign or malignant your veterinarian may take a fine needle aspirate to identify the specific cell types that are involved via cytology (cell analysis) and/or a surgical biopsy which involves surgical removal of tissue for histopathology. In most cases, these tests will lead to a better understanding of the type of cancer that is involved. Based upon the cell characteristics, these tests may give an indication as to whether the tumor is benign or malignant and this will allow some prediction of the prognosis for your ferret. Cytology has the advantage of being less invasive and giving quick answers whereas a histopathology is much more precise as to type of tumor and prognosis.

Depending on the type of suspected neoplasia, your veterinarian may also choose to perform other diagnostic tests to aid in giving you an accurate prognosis and treatment plan. Routine blood work (complete blood count, serum chemistry profile), radiography (x-rays), ultrasonography, endoscopy, or exploratory surgery may be recommended.

Treatment options will vary with type of tumor diagnosed. Surgical removal may be the first line of treatment and in many cases will result in a complete cure. If the type of cancer that your ferret has is malignant and has already metastasized, or is in a location that makes surgery difficult or impossible, other forms of treatment may be recommended.

As in humans, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are available for certain forms of cancer seen in the ferret. Chemotherapy is the administration of medication that preferentially acts against tumor cells to cause their death. Unfortunately, chemotherapeutic drugs may not be completely selective for the tumor cells and their action on normal healthy cells may cause some side effects. Radiation therapy involves the use of radiation to destroy tumor cells. It too has side effects. It addition, this therapy may require an extensive period of hospitalization at a referral institution. At times the only suggestion your veterinarian may make is symptomatic therapy designed to reduce the severity of signs that your ferret is exhibiting and making him or her more comfortable.

It is very important to ask questions! If you don’t understand something about the disease, the diagnostic tests, or the treatments, please ask your veterinarian.