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| Those
of us entrusted with caring for cats have two basic desires:
first, we wish to help cats by preventing serious diseases
and death; second, we wish to keep them from harm. Achieving
both objectives at the same time seems simple enough.
Unfortunately, few medical procedures are totally without
risk, and sometimes procedures that are normally helpful can
cause harm. The association between vaccine administration
and sarcomas (specific kinds of cancer) is an example. |
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Is this something
new? |
Sarcomas are not new forms of
cancer in cats. But in 1991, veterinarians began to notice a
higher than expected number of sarcomas occurring on cats'
bodies in places where vaccines are commonly injected.
Subsequently, an association between vaccine administration
and sarcoma development has been established. Most feline
sarcomas are not linked with vaccines in any way—and those
that are associated occur infrequently—yet veterinarians are
deeply concerned. |
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I found a lump
where my cat was vaccinated. What happens now?
|
It is quite common for a
small, firm, painless swelling to form under the skin at the
site where a vaccine was injected. The lump is almost always
of no consequence and disappears after several weeks. Rarely,
however, the swelling may progress to a sarcoma. To be on the
safe side, your veterinarian will suggest that you
periodically check the vaccination area for several months
after vaccination. If you detect a lump, you should contact
your veterinarian as soon as possible. Small samples of the
lump will be sent to a laboratory for diagnosis if any of the
following are true:
- The lump persists for more than three
months after vaccination.
- It is larger than two centimeters in
diameter (about the size of an olive).
- It is increasing in size one month after
vaccination.
If the lump is found to be a sarcoma, your
veterinarian may confer with or refer you to a veterinary
oncologist (a cancer specialist) for management. |
|
If vaccines are
causing problems, why use them at all?
|
Disturbing as this issue may
be, there is great concern that cat owners, attempting to
keep their cats from harm, may forego vaccination entirely.
The result? Though well-intentioned, these owners may be
placing their cats at far greater risk of acquiring a fatal
infection than any risk the vaccine poses. And in the case of
rabies, human health is at risk as well. |
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So what's being
done? |
Even though vaccine-associated
sarcomas are uncommon, the problem is receiving unprecedented
attention by veterinarians and feline vaccine producers. The
Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force is a coalition
of national veterinary organizations dedicated to resolving
the dilemma. This group is devoting considerable human and
financial resources to determine the true scope of the
problem, the cause, and the most effective treatment of
vaccine-associated sarcomas. |
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How should I
respond? |
Until this problem is solved,
the best response is to discuss the issue with your
veterinarian. In the vast majority of situations, vaccines
are much more beneficial than harmful, and they continue to
help protect cats from serious infection and disease. But one
way to reduce the chance of sarcoma development is not to
vaccinate unnecessarily. Veterinarians are being urged to
evaluate each individual cat's risk of infection to guide in
deciding which vaccines should be given. After considering
both the vaccine and your cat's situation, your veterinarian
will assist you in designing a vaccination program that not
only protects against infectious disease but is as safe as
possible.
Prepared by the
Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force. A combined
effort of the AVMA,
AAHA,
AAFP, and
Veterinary Cancer
Society, the task force consists of representatives from each
of the groups, veterinary researchers and clinicians, and
representatives from the
USDA/APHIS and the
Animal
Health Institute.
The information in this brochure may be
reproduced in its entirety with the permission of the task force.
Requests for permission to reprint should be submitted in writing
or by fax to Dr. James R. Richards, Cornell Feline Health Center,
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY,
14853. FAX (607) 253-3419. All rights reserved. Copyright 2000.
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