Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Survival after surgery for oral melanoma in 70 dogs
By Tuohy, Joanne L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2014·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Outcome following curative-intent surgery for oral melanoma in dogs: 70 cases (1998-2011).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 70 dogs with oral melanoma (a type of mouth cancer) underwent surgery to remove the tumors. Most of the dogs had their tumors completely excised, and some received additional treatments afterward. On average, dogs lived for about 723 days after surgery, with many experiencing no progression of the disease for over a year. However, those with larger tumors or metastases at diagnosis had a higher risk of disease progression and shorter survival times. Overall, the study suggests that surgery can be effective for dogs with this condition, especially if the tumors are caught early.
People also search for: dog oral melanoma treatment · dog mouth cancer surgery outcome · how long can a dog live with oral melanoma
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome in terms of progression-free interval (PFI) and overall survival time (ST) after curative-intent resection of oral melanoma in dogs. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 70 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES: An electronic medical record search and review was performed for dogs that underwent curative-intent resection of oral melanoma (May 1, 1998, to December 31, 2011). Information gathered included signalment, oral location of tumor, staging results, type of surgery, type of adjuvant therapy, findings on histologic evaluation, and outcome. RESULTS: 36 (51.4%), 16 (22.9%), 13 (18.6%), and 1 (1.4%) of 70 dogs had tumors classified as stage I, II, III, and IV, respectively; tumor stage could not be determined for 4 (5.7%) dogs because of the lack of tumor size information. Fifty-one (72.9%) dogs had tumors completely excised. Twenty-nine (41.4%) dogs received adjuvant therapy. Median PFI and ST were 508 and 723 days, respectively. Thirty-two (45.7%) dogs had disease progression. Significant associations with PFI or ST were found for administration of adjuvant therapy, presence of metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, higher tumor stage (III or IV), increased tumor size (> 3 cm), and sexually intact female dogs. Administration of adjuvant treatment was associated with a 130% increased hazard (hazard ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0 to 5.0) of disease progression; the presence of metastases at the time of diagnosis was associated with a 281% increased hazard (hazard ratio, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.5 to 9.6) of death. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that dogs with oral melanoma can have a long PFI and ST after resection with wide margins.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25406707/