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Mast Cell Tumors in Dogs; Malignant But Not Always Fatal |
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May 2006
- Eliot Kaplan, DVM -
Mast cell tumors are common skin tumors of dogs. They can occur anywhere on the dog and sometimes show up in other places than on the skin. But the most common occurrence is on the skin (or just underneath the skin) of dogs.
All mast cell tumors are potentially malignant (aggressive) and therefore must be considered life-threatening until proven otherwise thru a biopsy. These tumors often feel just like fatty tumors (lipomas). Fatty tumors are usually benign (non aggressive). If a soft mass on a dog is diagnosed by simple palpation alone as a lipoma, but it is actually a mast cell tumor, then the resulting misdiagnosis can lead to devastating consequences.
Because of this, if a soft mass (or any mass) arises on a dog, it should be checked out by a veterinarian as soon as possible. The veterinarian can easily check to see if the mass is a mast cell tumor thru a procedure requiring a small needle. The procedure is known as a fine needle aspirate and is a very simple way to obtain a cell sample from the mass to rule in or rule out a mast cell tumor. The procedure only takes a few seconds and sedation of the patient is not required.
If the mass turns out to be a mast cell tumor, it should be surgically removed if possible and sent to the lab. The lab pathologist will identify how aggressive the tumor is and whether or not it was entirely removed. Prior to the removal of the tumor, the veterinarian might wish to do radiographs and bloodwork to check and see if there are mast cell tumors elsewhere.
At the time of surgery, the veterinarian may also wish to biopsy the lymph node in the area to identify if spread of the tumor has occurred. It should be pointed out that many mast cell tumors can be cured by surgical excision alone---especially if caught early. However, for those that cannot be cured thru surgery, many can be controlled or cured with radiation and chemotherapy. Unfortunately, this can often be cost prohibitive to the owner.
Breeds that have an inclination to grow mast cell tumors include boxers, pugs, golden and Labrador retrievers. An interesting observation is that when boxers or pugs get mast cell tumors, the tumors act less aggressively compared to when other breeds get these tumors. |
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