Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Canine mast cell tumors diagnosis treatment and outlook
By Garrett LD·Published in Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports·2014
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Original publication title: Canine mast cell tumors: diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with a mast cell tumor, the most common type of skin cancer in dogs, may show symptoms like lumps on the skin that can be itchy or swollen. While many of these tumors can be treated successfully with local therapies, some can behave aggressively and spread to other parts of the body, making treatment decisions more complicated. It's important for pet owners to work closely with their veterinarian to determine the best course of action, which may include staging tests to check for spread and specific treatments to manage the tumor. With appropriate care, many dogs can have a good outcome.
People also search for: dog skin lump treatment · mast cell tumor in dogs prognosis · canine cancer treatment options
Abstract
Laura D Garrett Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, IL, USA Abstract: Mast cell tumors (MCTs) are the most common malignant skin cancer in dogs, and significant variability exists in their biological behavior. Most MCTs are cured with appropriate local therapy, but a subset shows malignant behavior with the potential to spread to lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and other areas and to thus become a systemic cancer. Because of this variable behavior, it is difficult to predict how any individual tumor is going to behave. The variability thus creates uncertainty in deciding what a particular dog's prognosis is, whether staging tests to assess for metastasis are needed, and even what treatments will be necessary for best outcome. In addition to controversies over the potential for development of systemic disease, or diffuse metastasis, controversies also exist over what treatment is needed to best attain local control of these tumors. This article will briefly discuss the diagnosis of MCTs in dogs and will summarize the literature in regards to the controversial topics surrounding the more aggressive form of this disease, with recommendations made based on published studies. Keywords: mitotic index, mastocytosis, tyrosine kinase inhibitor, histologic grade
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