Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgery outcomes and survival in dogs with tongue tumors
By Culp, William T N et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2013·Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Results of surgical excision and evaluation of factors associated with survival time in dogs with lingual neoplasia: 97 cases (1995-2008).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 97 dogs with tongue tumors underwent surgery to remove the masses, which were mostly found to be malignant types like squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. After surgery, 28% of the dogs experienced tumor recurrence, and the average survival time was about 483 days. Dogs with larger tumors (2 cm or more) had shorter survival times compared to those with smaller tumors. The study highlights the importance of early detection and surgical treatment for better outcomes in dogs with tongue tumors.
People also search for: dog tongue tumor treatment · squamous cell carcinoma in dogs · malignant melanoma in dogs · dog cancer survival rates
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical characteristics, treatments, outcomes, and factors associated with survival time in a cohort of dogs with lingual neoplasia that underwent surgical excision. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. Animals-97 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES: Medical records of dogs with a lingual tumor examined between 1995 and 2008 were reviewed. Records were included if a lingual tumor was confirmed by histologic examination and surgical excision of the mass was attempted. Data were recorded and analyzed to identify prognostic factors. RESULTS: Clinical signs were mostly related to the oral cavity. For 93 dogs, marginal excision, subtotal glossectomy, and near-total glossectomy were performed in 35 (38%), 55 (59%), and 3 (3%), respectively. Surgery-related complications were rare, but 27 (28%) dogs had tumor recurrence. The most common histopathologic diagnoses for the 97 dogs were squamous cell carcinoma (31 [32%]) and malignant melanoma (29 [30%]). Eighteen (19%) dogs developed metastatic disease, and the overall median survival time was 483 days. Median survival time was 216 days for dogs with squamous cell carcinoma and 241 days for dogs with malignant melanoma. Dogs with lingual tumors ≥ 2 cm in diameter at diagnosis had a significantly shorter survival time than did dogs with tumors < 2 cm. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Similar to previous studies, results indicated that lingual tumors are most commonly malignant, and squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma predominate. A thorough physical examination to identify lingual tumors at an early stage and surgical treatment after tumor identification are recommended because tumor size significantly affected survival time.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23634684/