Survival of dogs following surgical excision of histologically well-differentiated melanocytic neoplasms of the mucous membranes of the lips and oral cavity

Vet Pathol. 2008 Nov;45(6):889-96. doi: 10.1354/vp.45-6-889.

Abstract

Postsurgical follow-up information was obtained on 64 dogs with 69 histologically well-differentiated melanocytic neoplasms that involved the mucous membranes of the lips and oral cavity. The patients received no adjunct therapy. Sixty one of 64 dogs (95%) were alive at the end of the study or had died of causes unrelated to the tumor, with a mean survival of 23.4 months and a median survival of 34 months after surgery. Twenty-eight dogs alive at the end of the study had a mean survival of 31.3 months after surgery. There were 2 dogs, which had recurrent tumors, that were still alive at the end of the study. All dogs that died of tumor-related causes (3) and all dogs with recurrent tumors (2) had tumors in the oral cavity. Results of this study indicate that a favorable clinical course and prolonged survival can be expected in most dogs with histologically well-differentiated melanocytic neoplasms of the mucous membranes of the lips and oral cavity, with only local excision of the lesions and no adjunct therapy.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dog Diseases / mortality
  • Dog Diseases / surgery*
  • Dogs
  • Lip Neoplasms / mortality
  • Lip Neoplasms / surgery
  • Lip Neoplasms / veterinary*
  • Melanoma / mortality
  • Melanoma / surgery
  • Melanoma / veterinary*
  • Mouth Neoplasms / mortality
  • Mouth Neoplasms / surgery
  • Mouth Neoplasms / veterinary*
  • Retrospective Studies