This thread has made me both laugh and cry, and has also brough back memories of when I took my cat Phoebe to the vets with a sore spot on her neck that wouldnt heal. I thought that at worst it was an abcess, and was just expecting the vet to give her a jab, some pills and send us home.
However, she dropped the bombshell that she though it was cancer, and that she wanted to operate as soon as possible. She kept Phoebe in that night..coming home without her was awful, and having to tell hubby and the other two moggies was terrible. She had her operation the following morning, and I opted to have the growth sent to the lab to see if it was malignant or not. Phoebe came through the op well, and they also checked all her other internal organs for any signs of tumours. The pathology came back that it had been malignant, but the vet was hopeful that she had got it all. Now, 2 years on, I watch Phoebe like a hawk for any changes.
Luckily the vets bill, including operation, 4 subsequent visits for jabs, stitches, cleaning etc, pathology, blood tests,came to 147€ (probably about £120)which I didnt think was too bad. Money didnt come into it though, the love that cat has given us over the last 13 years is immeasurable.