Introduction

Oral melanoma is the most common malignant tumor in dogs accounting for 30–40%. Local disease or stage I can be curative with aggressive surgery, but almost affected dogs are clinical stage III/IV with poor prognosis due to pulmonary metastasis.

Objectives

To present oral melanoma with pulmonary metastasis in two dogs applying carboplatin chemotherapy and treatment follow up.

Methods

Case No. 1

A 15-year-old, male Poodle with a 2.5 cm in diameter mass at the upper lip, was diagnosis as malignant amelanotic melanoma with pulmonary metastasis. Carboplatin was used at a dosage 250 mg/m² and given every 3 weeks for 8 treatments.

Case No. 2

A 9-year-old, castrated male, mixed breed presented with a 5 cm in diameter mass at upper lingual. The diagnosis was malignant melanoma with submandibular lymph node and pulmonary metastasis. Adjuvant chemotherapeutic protocol, carboplatin at a dosage of 250 mg/m² and doxorubicin at a dosage of 60 mg/m², alternating combination of a 3-week interval was given for 6 treatments.

Results

Recurrence of oral masses and evidence of drug toxicity were not observed in both dogs. They showed normal vital signs with appetite. Hematology, kidney, liver and cardiac function tests were within normal range. Median survival time was 246 (No. 1) and 146 days (No. 2).

Conclusions

Survival times of two dogs were longer than that of previous reports for dogs affected with stage IV oral malignant melanoma. Carboplatin adjuvant chemotherapy is a palliative treatment that can reduce burden and improve quality of life of melanoma affected dogs.