What does malignant melanoma look like on a dog?
What does malignant melanoma look like on a dog?
Malignant melanomas look like raised lumps, often ulcerated, and can also look like gray or pink lumps in the mouth. Nail bed malignant melanomas, on the other hand, show up as toe swelling and possibly even loss of the toenail itself and destruction of underlying bone.
How is malignant melanoma treated in dogs?
Treatment for canine melanoma is focused on both controlling the local tumor, as well as addressing the concern for metastasis. For local control, surgery and/or radiation therapy are the most common options implemented.
How common is malignant melanoma in dogs?
Of all digital tumors, 17.3% have been reported to be melanomas. These tumors have a very high metastasis rate. At the time of diagnosis of a digital melanoma, roughly one-third of dogs will have detectable spread of the tumor to the lungs. Melanoma is the most common oral tumor.
What kind of melanoma does a nail bed have?
Nail Bed (Subungual) Melanoma – this is the second most common type of canine melanoma. The exact location of the tumor is the subungual crest, formally known as the nailbed. This type of tumor occurs as a solitary mass. Affected dogs show lameness and the affected toe tends to swell and bleed.
What are the different types of melanoma in dogs?
The different types and locations of melanoma in dogs include: Cutaneous Melanoma: appears on the skin. Ocular Melanoma: found on a dog’s eyelids or directly on the eye. Oral Melanoma: appears anywhere around the mouth or oral cavity (accounts for 80% of all melanomas in dogs) Subungual Melanoma: found in between the toes and the toenail bed.
What to do if your dog has malignant melanoma?
Malignant melanoma is an aggressive cancer in dogs that most commonly occurs in the oral cavity, skin, and digits/toes. Early identification followed by initial aggressive local/regional control with surgery and/or radiation therapy is of paramount importance. Adjuvant therapies, including treatment with the melanoma vaccine]
What is the life expectancy of a dog with digit malignant melanoma?
Dogs with digit malignant melanoma without lymph node involvement or distant metastasis treated with toe amputation have a reported median survival time of ~12 months. In previous studies, approximately 42-57% were alive at one year and 11-13% were alive at two years.
