Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and survival in dogs with tonsil cancer from 44 cases
By Mas, A et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2011·School of Veterinary Clinical Science, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Canine tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma -- a multi-centre retrospective review of 44 clinical cases.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs diagnosed with tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma, a type of throat cancer, often showed symptoms like coughing, swollen lymph nodes, and difficulty swallowing. Unfortunately, most dogs had a short survival time, averaging about 179 days, especially if they also experienced loss of appetite and lethargy. While treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation can help extend life, there isn't a highly effective cure for this condition. Some dogs did survive longer than average, but overall, the prognosis remains poor.
People also search for: dog throat cancer symptoms · tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma treatment for dogs · dog coughing and swollen lymph nodes
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To review the presenting clinical signs, treatment and survival of dogs with tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma and, if possible, to identify useful prognostic indicators. METHODS: Medical records of 44 dogs were reviewed retrospectively. Clinical signs, clinical stage, time of diagnosis, treatment and outcome were recorded. Data were analysed using the Kaplan-Meier, log-rank, Student's t test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Chi-square/Fisher Exact test as appropriate. RESULTS: The most frequent clinical signs were cough (12 dogs, 27%), enlarged lymph nodes (11 dogs, 25%) and dysphagia (11 dogs, 25%). Anorexia and lethargy were less common but were significantly associated with a poor outcome. No matter what treatment modalities were used, survival times were short and median survival time for all the dogs in the study was 179 days. However, there were a small number of long-term survivors. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Dogs with tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma that suffered anorexia and lethargy had shorter survival times than patients without these clinical signs. Although surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy seem to increase the median survival time of dogs diagnosed with tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma, there is no highly effective treatment for canine tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21726228/