Canine oral mucosal mast cell tumours.
Mast cell tumours (MCTs) are the most common cutaneous tumours of dogs, however rarely they can arise from the oral mucosa. This subset of MCT is reported to demonstrate a more aggressive clinical course than those tumours on the haired skin and the authors hypothesised that dogs with oral, mucosal MCT would have a high incidence of local lymph node metastasis at presentation and that this would be a negative prognostic factor. An additional hypothesis was that mitotic index (MI) would be prognostic. This retrospective study examines 33 dogs with MCTs arising from the oral mucosa. The results suggest that oral mucosal MCTs in the dog have a high incidence of lymph node metastasis at diagnosis (55%) which results in a poor prognosis. MI and nodal metastasis is highly prognostic. Loco-regional progression is common in these patients and dogs with adequate local control of their tumour had an improved outcome. Despite a more aggressive clinical course, treatment can result in protracted survivals, even when metastasis is present.
Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, Liverpool University, Liverpool, UK.
J W
JW
Elliott
Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, Liverpool University, Liverpool, UK.
P
P
Cripps
Small Animal Teaching Hospital, Liverpool University, Liverpool, UK.
L
L
Blackwood
Oncology Unit, Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, UK.
D
D
Berlato
CSAS, Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, UK.
S
S
Murphy
Small Animal Hospital, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
I A
IA
Grant
D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008198:Lymph Nodes; D008297:Male; D034801:Mastocytoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemotherapy; oncology; radiation oncology; small animal; surgical oncology; tumour biology; tyrosine kinase