For many years, and still now, treatment of oral cancer is based in oral surgery. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy work well for metastasis, specially, and need to be used as auxiliary treatment, and not as the main treatment. Although for some neoplasms, such as acanthomatous epulides, radiation can be curable.
In cats, around 70% of the neoplastic masses are carcinomas, like in humans. In dogs, the most common is melanoma, followed by carcinoma and fibrosarcoma. Benign neoplasm are also common, especially in dogs, such as epulides. Diagnosis is based on clinical exam, radiology and histopathology. MRI and CAT-Scan are useful and can improve prognosis.
Treatment consists mainly in removing the cancer "en bloc", with a large margin, at least 1 to 3 mm, according to the type. It is worthless to remove only the mass, without aggressive removal or a margin. The attempt of treating oral masses with chemotherapy is also fruitless, once it will not remove the mass at all, unless it is a lymphosarcoma or venereal tumor (Sticker). Recurrence is quite common in months, especially if safety margin is not carried out.
A complete follow-up of each case in adamantine, for possible recurrence and re-operation.