S.C. Angulo-Gómez, DVM
La Salle University, Bogotá, Colombia; Postgraduate Specialization in Veterinary Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Brasil; Director, DentalVet Veterinary Dentistry Service, Bogotá, Colombia
The oral cavity is the fourth most common place of presentation of neoplasias in dogs and cats; and from all species, dogs and cats are the most affected, having some more predisposed breeds, such as the Weimaraner, Boxer and Cocker Spaniel, as age, it occurs mainly in animals over 8 years.1
The most common malignant oral tumors of dogs are malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma and osteosarcoma.2 In addition to this, canine acanthomatous ameloblastoma is a common benign but locally invasive neoplasm. Squamous cell carcinoma represents approximately 70% of feline oral tumors, with fibrosarcoma and osteosarcoma occurring less commonly.3
To find the course of a neoplasm is important to know the clinical evolution of them, which is divided into:
Fulminant: Sudden onset, with rapid growth
Progressive: When worsens continuously
Stable: When the tumor is stabilized during the growth phase, with presentation of symptoms
Quiescent: At some stage of the tumor, the clinical signs are imperceptible
Neoplasms can be classified according to their malignancy in benign or malignant, being the malignant ones the most frequently narrated, with the exception of épulis. Among the most commonly observed oral benign neoplasias, they are the épulis, odontoma, cementoma and ameloblastoma. While the most frequent malignant oral neoplasias are carcinomas, fibrosarcomas, melanomas and osteosarcoma.1
For the diagnosis, it is essential to perform some radiographs to determine the extent of the tumor and the presence of bone involvement. The ideal is to make some intraoral radiographs at the time of biopsy, as part of the clinical staging process.4 Computed tomography (CT) can help to determinate more accurately the extention of the neoplasia, and its involvement on the surrounded tissue and it is particularly useful for maxillary tumors, which can extend into the nasal cavity and/or periorbital region, and also for caudal mandibular tumors.5
There are four potential goals of oral oncologic surgery: 1 - surgery to cure, 2 - surgery for debulking, 3 - surgery for local control and 4 - surgery for palliation. The therapeutic goal of a curative surgical procedure is to remove the entire lesion and leave no cells that could proliferate and cause recurrence of the lesion.4
Among the different treatments for neoplasias of the oral cavity, the surgical treatment is the most widely used and gives better results, because besides removing the tumor, also can obtain tissue for histological diagnosis when using scalpel, laser, cryosurgery or electrosurgery.1 Should be consider that surgical excision of a solid tumor with defined margins without bone invasion, can be performed with scalpel, electrosurgery or laser. And for malignant neoplasms should be performed ecxision en bloc, which means it must be removed with safety margin.1
References
1. Gioso MA. Odontologia Veterinaria Para o Clínico de Pequenos Animais. 2nd ed. Barueri, SP. Minha Editora; 2007.
2. Withrow SJ. Cancer of the oral cavity. In: Withrow SJ, MacEwen EG, eds. Small Animal Clinical Oncology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders; 2001:305–318.
3. Stebbins KE, Morse CC, Goldschmidt MH. Feline oral neoplasia: a ten-year survey. Vet Pathol. 1989;26:121–128.
4. Lommer MJ, Verstraete FJ. Principles of oral oncologic surgery. In: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Dogs and Cats. Publisher, Elsevier Ltd; 2012:423–430
5. Seguin B. Tumors of the mandible, maxilla and calvarium. In: Slatter DG, ed. Textbook of Small Animal Surgery. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2003:2488–2502.