Chemotherapy For Dogs With Mast Cell Tumor

Mast cell tumors in dogs.

Chemotherapy for dogs with mast cell tumor.

Grade 3 mast cell tumors are candidates for chemo and possibly radiation and more as they will often come back and spread even after surgery. The more traditional chemotherapy drugs e g ccnu vinblastine prednisone and the newer class of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors palladia and kinavet. 1 they can be very invasive and often regrow after surgical removal. Canine mast cell tumors incidence cause.

Mcts can arise from any skin site on the body and can have a variety of appearances. The tki drugs palladia and kinavet target this genetic mutation specifically. They may also spread metastasize. The staging of an mct tells one how large it is and whether or not it has spread to other areas.

Stage iv mast cell tumors mean there s metastasis in the skin. This stimulates tumor growth and leads to increased survival for mast cell tumors. Most mct cancers respond well to systemic treatment. A tumor consisting of mast cells is called a mastocytoma or mast cell tumor.

Mast cell tumors mct in dogs are very common accounting for approximately 20 of all skin tumors in dogs. Mast cell tumors can arise from any skin site on the body and can have a variety of appearances. For most dogs the underlying cause promoting the development of the tumor is not known. Stages of mast cell tumors in dogs.

The biopsy of a mast cell tumor in dogs provides vital information that helps veterinarians to determine the type of treatment needed. However some dogs have a more aggressive type of mct and treatment in these cases is of a more palliative nature trying to improve patient comfort and life expectancy but without being able to achieve a cure. There are typically two main avenues of chemotherapy for treating mast cell tumors in dogs. The tricky guys are those grade 2 mast cell tumors.

Mast cell tumors mcts are common in dogs accounting for approximately 20 percent of all skin tumors in dogs. There may also be organs with or without high blood counts. Their primary functions include defense against parasitic infestations tissue repair and the formation of new blood vessels angiogenesis. Pretty much all grade 1 and about 90 or so of grade 2 mast cell tumors are gone permanently after wide excision.

One third of dogs with mct have a genetic mutation in the c kit gene that leads to a cellular protein called tyrosine kinase to be stuck in the on position. Mast cells are cells that reside in the connective tissues especially those vessels and nerves that are closest to the external surfaces e g skin lungs nose mouth.