Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with weight loss and trouble swallowing due to tongue cancer
By Morrison, M Lane et al.·Published in Journal of equine veterinary science·2019·Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Lingual Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Two Horses.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old American Quarter Horse mare and an 18-year-old American Saddlebred stallion both showed signs of weight loss, difficulty swallowing, and excessive drooling. After thorough examinations and biopsies, both were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (a type of cancer) on their tongues. Unfortunately, the mare had to be euthanized due to the severity of her condition, while the stallion received radiation therapy, which helped slow the cancer's progression.
People also search for: horse weight loss and drooling · horse cancer treatment options · dysphagia in horses · squamous cell carcinoma in horses
Abstract
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common malignant neoplasms in horses, but lingual SCC has seldom been reported. On separate occasions, a 12-year-old American Quarter Horse mare and an 18-year-old American Saddlebred stallion were presented to the Auburn University Large Animal Teaching Hospital for evaluation of weight loss, dysphagia, and ptyalism. Evaluation of each horse included physical examination, skull radiographs, oral examination, complete blood count and serum biochemistry profile, endoscopic evaluation of the mouth, and biopsy of tissue from a lesion found on the tongue. Histopathologic assessment of tissue harvested from the lingual lesions led to a diagnosis of SCC in each case. The diagnosis prompted euthanasia for one horse, but radiation therapy appeared to delay the progression of the lesion in the other horse.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31405497/