From time to time, a question concerning mast cell cancer is posed on thelist. I was looking through some various health articles that I had saved yesterday and came across an article from the October 1998 "Your Dog" from Tufts.
Let me preface by stating that a diagnosis of mast cell tumor need not spell disaster; my Jorda had one removed from her foot at age four years and lived to the age of thirteen years two weeks two days.
The article points out that the tissue must be examined microscopically for a histologic grade for the tumor and its location and whether it has spread must be considered.
MCTs can occur internally but are more often found in the skin of a dog's trunk, hind limbs, or extremities. They are more often, but not solely, found in dogs over eight years of age.
A pathologist will examine a biopsied growth to determine how closely the sample cells resemble normal mast cells; depending on how normal, somewhat abnormal, or very abnormal the cells look, the tumor is graded one or two or three. This reflects the prognosis; a grade one tumor (mast cells are well differentiated) has the best prognosis and grade three (mast cells are poorly differentiated) has the worst. Tumor grade also indicates whether tumor likely to spread to places such as lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, or blood.
Treatment is determined by tumor grade and location. If a well-differentiated (grade one) tumor is located where it can be completely surgically removed, dog may require no additional treatment. If grade two tumor has infiltrated surrounding tissue or tumor is where vet. cannnot be certain every cancer cell removed, vet. may recommend radiation as well as surgery to reduce chance of recurrence. If tumor is grade three, which is likely to have spread, treatment may include chemotherapy and radiation and prednisone(corticosteroid) may be used
to keep patient more comfortable.
Lisa Allen
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