In November of 2018, our black Labrador mix, Shiloh, had a 2 cm tumor in his mouth. My husband noticed it on the left side of his mouth while I was on a business trip. He immediately called the vet, and Shiloh was scheduled for removal the next day. After the tumor removal, it was sent to a lab for testing and confirmed the tumor was malignant oral melanoma, a very aggressive type of cancer (canines and humans.) Unfortunately, the vet could not remove the entire cancerous tumor without removing significant parts of his jaw. At this time, we were informed there was a very high likelihood cancer would return or metastasize to other parts of his body. It’s not a question of if, but rather a matter of when.
The Diagnosis
In December of 2018, I took Shiloh to Veterinary Specialists of North Texas to see an oncologist and to determine the stage of cancer, discuss options, and prognosis. Oral Melanoma has four stages depending on the size of the tumor and whether or not it has metastasized. As his tumor was 2 cm, he is already classified as stage 2. We did receive the good news that his lung x-ray was clear, and his lymph node aspiration was both clear, meaning cancer has not yet metastasized.
If his cancer had metastasized, it would bring his prognosis to a stage 3/4. At that point, treatment is limited, with a prognosis of 1-3 months. Fortunately, he remained at stage 2 brings his prognosis to 6 months untreated. Treatment, such as radiation, will double prognosis to about a year.
The Treatment
We decided to give Shiloh a fighting chance. With high hopes, we decided to proceed with localized radiation therapy, which boasts an 80% success rate of preventing regrowth of the tumor. Another option would be to combine radiation with a recently released Oral Melanoma vaccine (not a preventative.) This option was cost-prohibitive for us as radiation alone was ~$2500, and the vaccine, which requires multiple doses, is $800 per treatment.
The radiation treatment was weekly for six weeks. The only side effect Shiloh had from the radiation was the left side of his chin hair lost color, but I think it makes him look distinguished. We did several more check-ups for chest x-rays, each coming back clear. As of August 2020, almost two years after the initial diagnosis, Shiloh is about to turn 11 next month. We’re incredibly grateful we had the opportunity and the means to extend his life
Just had our dog diagnosed with oral cancer, he is between 10.5-11.5 years old, stage four. We are looking at options, but don’t think the cost will out weigh the outcome. We are thinking about donating the cost of his treatments to an animal rescue, as he was a rescue. Need some help here, or advice. Thanks.
Hi Jill,
I’m so sorry to hear about your pup. I know how heartbreaking it can be to receive the news. I’m not a vet so I can only speak to my experience and individual research. I found this to be a good overview on canine oral melanoma including an overview of potential options and average prognosis with surgery – https://cvm.ncsu.edu/nc-state-vet-hospital/small-animal/oncology/canine-oral-melanoma/
If there are any specific questions I can answer for you please let me know. I’m sending you virtual hugs.