title: Results of surgical excision and evaluation of factors associated with survival time in dogs with lingual neoplasia: 97 cases (1995-2008).
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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series. Animals-97 client-owned dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  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
  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.
authors: Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA. wculp@ucdavis.edu
authors: William T N
authors: WT
authors: Culp
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Ehrhart
authors: Stephen J
authors: SJ
authors: Withrow
authors: Robert B
authors: RB
authors: Rebhun
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Boston
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Buracco
authors: Alexander M
authors: AM
authors: Reiter
authors: Sandra P
authors: SP
authors: Schallberger
authors: Charles F
authors: CF
authors: Aldridge
authors: Michael S
authors: MS
authors: Kent
authors: Philipp D
authors: PD
authors: Mayhew
authors: Dorothy C
authors: DC
authors: Brown
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D034801:Mastocytoma / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D009208:Myoepithelioma / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D018317:Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D010954:Plasmacytoma / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*