what is vaccine induced sarcoma in feline?

Question

what are the symptoms and how does it start?
how often does this happen to cats and what are the risks?

Answer 1

Vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats are typically surrounded by, and infiltrated with, lymphocytes and macrophages. The phenomenon of sarcoma formation in cats at vaccination sites is apparently unique to cats, and they typically develop 3 months to 3 years after vaccination.

risks according to the first website: 20/100,000 cats

Vets now vaccinate nearer to the limbs so if it does happen it can easily be removed, and if perchance it gets bad, they can simply remove the limb (not good, but way easier than dealing with it when it is in the scruff)

The risks of not being vaccinated seem to far outweigh the risk of this.

Answer 2

It was generally assumed any aluminum containing vaccine causes feline sarcoma. However it is know known that many things that damage the skin of a cat can induce a sarcoma. It is rare way less than 1: 250,000 but can be fatal if not caught in time.

Answer 3

It sometimes occurs after a cat has been vaccinated and a sarcoma occures at the site of the vaccination. Sometimes they can be cancerous. I've given you a site where you can go check this out and read up more about this. As there is alot of info to read. Hope this helps. I've had cats vaccinated and a lump has developed at the injections site. If the lump does not go away and grows in size or becomes painful to the cat or infected. Take your cat to the vet immediately.

Answer 4

Ten to fifteen years ago vets gave all shots in the upper back area near the shoulders. Then cats began to get inoperable cancers in that area and they died. So vets began to question if it was one of the vaccinations they were giving could be causing it.

I believe they found it was a common form of the rabies vaccination (I think the unkilled form - not sure). So the vaccine was "fixed" to a safer form. Now the protocol is to give the vaccines in other spots. The FVRCP between the shoulders, the rabies in the Right leg, the leukemia in the Left leg. A kitty can survive a leg amputation whereas the cancer between the shoulders could not be removed.

Though the vaccines are now deemed safe many vets consider that cats and other pets are overvaccinated as there is no research to show how long they are effective.

You might want to go to: http://www.littlebigcat.com and read Dr. Jean Hovfe's article "Vaccinations". It's a good idea to have a discussion with your vet about which vaccines are necessary for your cat and how often they should be given.

Answer 5

I think my cat died of it. She had a tumor develop on her neck, it started as a walnut size and progress to an orange size and we finally just had to euthanize her. Surgery was an option but no guarantee to any success.