# Post-cancer life expectancy?



## nexxerus (Mar 9, 2009)

I was wondering if there were any hedgehog owners out there who could give me some idea on hedgehog life expectancy after an occurrence of cancer. Isabelle developed a tumor over the summer (she had just turned 2), but I caught it very early and it was successfully removed.  The vet warned that there is a good chance the cancer could crop up again so Ive been inspecting her underside regularly but all has been well. I guess a "life expectancy" really isn't something for which I can feasibly ask as circumstances vary so much. What I really want to know is if there are owners out there have had malignant tumors removed from their hedgehogs and still had the animal live a full and healthy life from there on out. I'm worried that's a rare phenomenon. How likely is it that the cancer will come back? I still consider her to be a young girl and am hoping she can have a normal life without any more stressful surgeries.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

My Peaches had a malignant mammary tumour removed when she was 18 months old and she died shortly before her 5th birthday. From all I researched at the time, average recurrence for mammary tumours is 8 months and death by a year. There are many hedgehogs that have way surpassed those numbers. The pathology on Peaches tumour was not at all promising. It had spread and not all of the tumour had been removed. Still, she survived a normal life span and died from a completely unrelated cancer. 

I can't give any personal experience on uterine tumour survival as all we have had here have been on older girls. 

The fact that you got it early is good. You can start giving her IP6 to boosts her immune system. It comes in capsules and you break them open and put a pinch on her food nightly. Providing her with good healthy food will also help. 

What type of tumour did she have?


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## nexxerus (Mar 9, 2009)

She had a lower mammary tumor. She had it removed in August so its just about been 8 months. I guess I should just keep watching her. Thanks for the tip on the IP6 capsules. Probably not a bad idea. And I'm happy to know that there's at least one hedgie out there who lived a normal life span, although I'm really sorry to hear that she developed cancer a second time.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

I've seen people report hedgehogs who have had mammary cancers removed, margins were clear, and the hedgehog lived a good long life afterwards... Others have had it reappear but in a different location. It really just depends on the cancer and the hedgehog, much like it does in humans I suppose. Early removal (with clean margins) is likely the best we can hope for getting a long life afterwards.

We had one removed from a rescue once, margins were unclean yet she lived another year before developing colon cancer. 

Whenever I have on that has had cancer, I always start monitoring them regularly for any new lumps or health changes. And get them checked out quickly if you see anything new.


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