Vaccine Associated Sarcoma (VAS)
Vaccine disease  Animal vaccines  Cancer

''My alma mater was the first to recognize VAS in cats in 1991. The highly aggressive and deadly brosarcoma tumor was appearing between the shoulder blades, where the rabies vaccine was commonly injected. Veterinary students of ten years ago were taught to change the injection site for the rabies vaccination to a cat’s hind leg because a leg could be easily amputated if a VAS formed.
    Dogs can also get VAS at the vaccination site. Today, in a case of the tail wagging the dog, many veterinary schools are advocating that the rabies vaccination be given in the end of the tail. Problem solved? Not really.
    Fibrosarcoma is the most common VAS. Other tumor types include rhabdomyosarcoma, myxosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, malignant histiocytoma and undi erentiated sarcoma. These tumors are characterized as highly invasive, rapidly growing and malignant. Often the cancer spreads to the lungs and may spread to the regional lymph nodes as well. Villains In Vaccines By Dr. Deva Khalsa

[Media Sept 2002] Vets focus on vaccine, cancer link in pets

Hershey AE, et al. [See Related Articles] Prognosis for presumed feline vaccine-associated sarcoma after excision: 61 cases (1986-1996). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2000 Jan 1;216(1):58-61. [MEDLINE record in process]PMID: 10638320; UI: 20103675.
Leveque NW. [See Related Articles] Symposium devoted to vaccine-associated feline sarcomas. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1998 Sep 15;213(6):785. No abstract available.PMID: 9743712; UI: 98416353.
 
Briscoe CM, et al. [See Related Articles] Pulmonary metastasis of a feline vaccination-site fibrosarcoma. J Vet Diagn Invest. 1998 Jan;10(1):79-82. No abstract available.PMID: 9526865; UI: 98186060.
 
Gruffydd-Jones TJ, et al. [See Related Articles] Vaccination and fibrosarcomas in cats. Vet Rec. 1994 Mar 19;134(12):310. No abstract available.PMID: 8009792; UI: 94279096.