Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog survival and risks after surgery for skin melanoma
By Laver, Travis et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2018·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Post-surgical outcome and prognostic factors in canine malignant melanomas of the haired skin: 87 cases (2003-2015).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 87 dogs with malignant melanoma (a type of skin cancer) on their fur-covered skin underwent surgery to remove the tumors. After surgery, the average time before the cancer progressed was about 1282 days, and the average overall survival time was around 1363 days. While some dogs did experience local recurrence or metastasis (spread of cancer), many had long survival times following surgery. The study found that older dogs and those with a higher mitotic index (a measure of how quickly cancer cells are dividing) had shorter survival times. Overall, surgery alone can lead to good outcomes for dogs with this type of cancer.
People also search for: dog skin cancer surgery outcome · malignant melanoma in dogs · dog cancer survival rates
Abstract
The medical records of 87 dogs treated with surgery for cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) of the haired skin were retrospectively reviewed for overall survival time (OST), progression-free survival time (PFS), and prognostic factors. The post-surgery median PFS and median OST were 1282 days and 1363 days, respectively. The post-surgery metastatic rate was 21.8% with a local recurrence rate of 8%. Increasing mitotic index (MI) was predictive of a significantly decreased OST and PFS on multivariable analysis [hazard ratio (HR): 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02 to 1.07 and HR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.06, respectively]. Increasing age was likewise predictive of a significantly decreased OST and PFS on multivariable analysis (HR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.65 and HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.54, respectively). These results confirm clinical impressions that long survival times are likely in dogs diagnosed with malignant melanoma of the haired skin when treated with surgery alone.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30197441/