ACANTHOMATOUS EPULIS Details.

ADRENAL GLAND ADENOCARCINOMA Cushing’s disease is the result of too much steroid production in the body by the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are small glands that sit next to the kidneys and are responsible for producing hormones such as steroids and balancing the body’s electrolytes. There are two primary causes for the body to develop Cushing’s. The first is when the brain develops a tumour in the pituitary gland. The tumour in the pituitary gland sends hormones down to the adrenal gland to tell it to produce more steroids. These excessive steroids cause many unwanted changes in the body. The second form is where the adrenal gland itself develops a tumour in it (Adrenal Gland Adenocarcinoma) and also produces an elevated amount of steroids in the body. Cushing’s is a slowly progressing disease. Its signs include: increased appetite, increased drinking and urination, reduced activity, and enlargement of the abdomen. As the disease progresses, these signs intensify, and the pet may become fat, pant heavily, and lose hair evenly over each side of the body. In some cases, hair loss may be the only apparent change. Extensive laboratory tests and radiographs or ultrasound may be needed to diagnose the condition, find its cause and plan treatment. Some animals respond to medical treatment alone, while others need both surgical and medical treatment. Unfortunately, some patients grow worse despite treatment. Details.

ADRENOCARCINOMA Details.

ANAL SAC ADENOCARCINOMA Anal sacs (also called anal glands) are two small glands just inside a pet's anus. The material secreted into these glands is thick and foul-smelling. Most animals can empty these glands voluntarily for scent marking or in self-defence, like a skunk might do. Anal Sac Adenocarcinomas are rare and account for only 2% of skin tumours in dogs and 1 % of skin tumours in cats. Predisposed breeds are the English springer spaniel, dachshund, Alaskan malamute, English cocker spaniel and the German shepherd. The cancer happens equally in males and females. A characteristic of this cancer is to create increased calcium levels in the body which will cause the dog to pant and drink excessively, vomit and go off food. Spread of the cancer into the body is common. It frequently goes to the local lymph nodes and the nearby vertebrae, causing significant pain. It will also travel to the spleen and liver. Unless early detection occurs, the cancer has already spread. Details.

AURAL ADENOCARCINOMA Details.

BASAL CELL CARCINOMA Details.

CARTOID BODY TUMOR Details.

CHONDROSARCOMA Cartilage cancer. Details.

COLON CANCER Details.

EPULIS CANCER Details.

FIBROSARCOMA Details.

GASTRIC CARCINOMA Details.

HEMANGIOPERICYTOMA Hemangiopericytoma is a common tumour in dogs that generally arises on the limbs and appears as a round nodule. It is different from Hemangiosarcoma (a blood vessel tumour) in that its cancer involves cells called pericytes that are associated with blood vessels, but is not a true blood vessel cell tumour. Instead of forming a useful tissue, these pericytes form tumors because improper cell division has left them with chromosome damage.Hemangiopericytomas can appear bald, pigmented or even ulcerated. The hemangiopericytoma does not spread through the body in the way one normally thinks of cancer. It does however tend to recur at the site of its original removal. When it recurs, it tends to grow back more deeply rooted and more difficult to remove than it was in its original form. If left alone it will continue to grow inexorably over usually years until it invades a part of the body that does not have extra space to allow a tumour (usually the chest cavity is the closest such area.) Details.

HEMANGIOSARCOMA Hemangiosarcoma is a malignant tumour of the body’s blood vessels. With the exception of the skin form of hemangiosarcoma, which can often be eliminated by surgery, a diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma is bad news. This tumour is associated with serious internal bleeding and rapid internal spread. Most owners are not aware that their pet has hemangiosarcoma, because it causes almost no problems until the time that the tumour starts bleeding. Until this time the pet will behave completely normally. Fortunately, it is not without therapy options and, as long as expectations are realistic, temporary remissions are possible. There are three classical locations which account for most presentations: 1) skin and subcutaneous forms, 2) on the spleen and 3) heart-based forms · The skin form of hemangiosarcoma are the best types to have as they are the most easily removed surgically and thus have the greatest potential for complete cure. The true skin form looks like a rosy red or even black growth on the skin. This form is associated with sun exposure and thus tends to form on non-haired or sparsely haired skin, such as on the abdomen, or on areas with white fur. Dogs with short white haired fur (such as Dalmatians and pit bull terriers) are predisposed to the development of this tumour. Approximately 1/3 of cases will spread internally in the malignant way we usually associate with cancer so it is important to remove such growths promptly. It is necessary to take chest radiographs and ultrasound the abdomen and the heart after the diagnosis of skin hemangiosarcoma has been made to learn if the cancer has spread inwards. Surgery alone has been associated with a 172-day (approximately 6 months) median survival time. · The spleen form of hemangiosarcoma tends to go unnoticed as the spleen is hidden deep in the abdomen and are not visible externally. Splenic growths have the unfortunate tendency to break open and bleed profusely regardless of whether they are benign or malignant. While a splenectomy (removal of the spleen) certainly ends the prospect of this type of life-threatening sudden bleed, splenic hemangiosarcoma is still a rapidly spreading malignancy. When a splenic mass is detected by ultrasound or xray, it is not possible to tell prior to surgery if it is malignant or benign. Surgery and a biopsy are needed to determine this. By time the tumour is detected and removed, the hemangiosarcoma has already spread to other tissues, frequently the heart or liver, and chemotherapy must be used to significantly prolong the pet’s life. Survival time with surgery alone is 19 to 65 days for splenic hemangiosarcoma. With chemotherapy and surgery, a median survival time is 6 months. Although chemotherapy and splenectomy are not a cure, they do allow months are additional excellent life. Heart-Based Hemangiosarcoma: Like the splenic hemangiosarcoma, the heart-based hemangiosarcoma tends to exert its life-threatening effects by bleeding. The heart is enclosed in a sac called the pericardium. When the hemangiosarcoma bleeds, the blood fills up the pericardium until it is so full that the heart inside is under so much pressure that it has no room to fill with the blood it has to pump. Chest radiographs will show the heart looking spherical due to the blood build-up in the pericardial sac. This condition, if allowed to progress, results in an emergency circulating collapse called a "pericardial tamponade" and can only be relieved by tapping the pericardium with a needle and withdrawing the excess fluid. 63% of heart-based hemangiosarcomas have evidence of tumour spread at the time of their discovery. Survival time for surgery alone (removing the pericardium and snipping off the heart-based hemangiosarcoma) is approximately 4 months. Adding on chemotherapy after surgery can increase median survival time to 175 days. The most current protocol involves injectable Adriamycin (Doxorubicin) every 3 weeks and oral cyclophosphamide at home for 3 days out of the week. Details.

LEIOMYSARCOMA Details.

LEUKEMIA Leukemia literally means an over-abundance of white blood cells in the bloodstream. White blood cell are important cells of our blood and are responsible our pet’s overall health. The white blood cell in the body will normally elevate in response to infection, inflammation, allergy, and even stress. However, in the case of Leukemia, we are not talking about white blood cell elevations in these moderately expected ranges. The patient with leukemia has an over-abundance of a particular white blood cell in huge magnitudes. The bloodstream is swarmed with cancerous white blood cells and the bone marrow from whence they came is consumed with making cancer cells and making very few of the other blood cells we need to survive. There are many different types of white blood cells that can create leukemia, but the most common one are from the lymphocyte white blood cell. This type is called Lymphocytic Leukemia. In dogs we are not certain what cause them to develop lymphocytic leukemia but in cats we know that it can be related to the “leukemia virus”. Details.

LIPOSARCOMA Liposarcomas are rare malignant tumours of fat cells. They tend to occur in older animals without favouring either gender. The cause of liposarcomas is unknown. They are locally invasive in the surrounding deeper tissues, and will occasionally metastasize elsewhere in the body. They can feel either soft or firm and can vary in size from 1 to 12 cm. They are frequently found on the chest or the limbs, but they can affect any area of the body, and are not necessarily the progression of a previously benign lipoma. Details.

LYMPHOMA Lymphoma, also called lymphosarcoma, is a highly malignant tumour of the lymph system. It is the most common form of cancer in both humans and small animals. The lymph system is a network of lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes that exist in throughout the body. They help clean the body of unwanted substances and give protection against foreign substances. The lymph nodes serve as immune system centers where these foreign substances may be presented to the cells (lymphocytes) of the immune system. There are many different types of immune-related cells; some produce anti-bodies, some circulate and destroy the foreign materials they encounter, some regulate the activity of other cells. When lymphocytes become cancerous within a lymph node, the node swells and hardens. Malignant lymphocytes readily travel through the lymph vessels to nearby lymph nodes. Soon all the nodes are enlarged. Ultimately, the bone marrow (where most blood cells are formed) is affected, the immune system is destroyed, and severe anemia and weakness claim the victim's life. Details.

LYMPHOSARCOMA Details.

LYMPHOSARCOMA AND MAST CELL TUMOUR Details.

MALIGNANT INTESTINAL TUMOR Details.

MALIGNANT MELANOMA Details.

MAMMARY CANCER IN CATS In cats, mammary cancer is the third most common cancer, with the most common victim being a senior female cat around age 10 to 12 years. Dogs are lucky as only about 50% of mammary tumours are malignant for them. For cats, approximately 90% are malignant with rapid spread to adjacent glands and the nearest set of lymph nodes. Siamese cats seem to have more than their fair share of this cancer. Cat owners should regularly check for even small lumps in their pet’s mammary glands. Because veins connect both the right and left sets of glands, it is easy for tumour cells to cross from one side to the other though usually the glands on the same side as the original tumour are seeded first. At first the tumour is small and may feel like a pebble or dried pea. The tumour should be removed as soon as possible in hope of removing it completely. If left alone, mammary tumours get larger and harder and ultimately burst through the skin creating a smelly, infected ulcer. Tumours will spread from the mammary glands to local lymph nodes and then on to the chest, brain, bone, and even spleen. As the mammary cancer in cats is so deadly, prevention is the best route to go to avoid this disease. Early spaying is the single most significant protective factor. Spaying before age 6 months results in a 91% reduction in risk. Spaying before age 1 year results in an 86% reduction in risk. Spaying before age 2 years leads to an 11% reduction in risk. Having given birth to kittens has no effect on mammary cancer risk. Spaying after age 2 years does not reduce the risk of mammary cancer development at all. Details.

MAMMARY CANCER IN DOGS Most pet owners do not know that the incidence of mammary tumour development in dogs is higher than that of women, with one in four unspayed female dogs developing the disease. This is a huge incidence, yet awareness among owners of female dogs is lacking. A female puppy spayed before her first heat cycle can expect never to develop a mammary tumour of any kind. The incidence of tumour development in this group is nearly zero. If she is allowed to experience one heat cycle before spaying, the incidence rises to 7% (still quite low). If she is allowed to experience more than one heat cycle, the risk is driven up to one in four. Details.

MAST CELL TUMOURS Mast Cell Tumours (Mastocytomas) are one of the true chameleons of the cancer world. Their appearance can vary tremendously and a tumour can change in size and appearance tremendously over a very short period. It is common for a mast cell tumour to triple in size over night if it had been somehow traumatized that day. This occurs because a mast cell tumour is made up of a large numbers of common white blood cells called mast cells. These cells exist throughout the body and they respond to foreign invaders such as parasites. The mast cell possesses granules of especially inflammatory biochemicals meant for use against invading parasites. Unfortunately mast cells will sometimes overreact to other foreign invaders that enter the body, such as pollens or bee stings. The mast cells when stimulated by these foreign substances, will release histamine and create a “histamine” or allergic reaction, often causing intense swelling and itchiness and sometimes even an anaphylactic reaction with severe consequences. Tumours made of mast cells will also release histamine and if a small skin mast cell tumour is “bumped” accidentally, the released histamine can make it swell to many times its original size in a matter of a few hours. Mast cell tumours are especially common in dogs accounting for approximately one skin tumour in every five. The Boxer is at an especially high risk, as are related breeds: English bulldog, Boston terrier. Also at higher than average risk is the Shar pei, labrador retriever, golden retriever, schnauzer, and cocker spaniel. Most mast cell tumours arise in the skin but technically they can arise anywhere that mast cells are found. The mast cell tumour does not have a characteristic appearance though because of the tumour’s ability to cause swelling through the release of granules, it is not unusual for the owner to notice a sudden change in the size of the growth or, for that matter, that the growth is itchy or bothersome to the patient. Mast cell tumours are notoriously invasive and difficult to treat. Details.

MEDIASTINAL Details.

MELANOMA Details.

MOUTH CANCER Details.

NASAL ADENOCARCINOMA Details.

NASAL CARCINOMA Details.

ONCOCYTOMA Details.

OSTEOSARCOMA Osteosarcoma is a common cancer of the bone, usually affecting larger dog breeds. It is usually seen in middle aged or elderly dogs but can also occur in the young. It is highly inherited especially in certain breeds such as rottweilers and mastiffs. Osteosarcoma can develop in any bone but the limbs are the most common bones affected. Osteosarcoma begins deep within the bone and becomes progressively more painful as it grows outward and the bone is destroyed from the inside out. The lameness goes from being intermittent in the early stages to constant over a 1 to 3 month time span. Obvious swelling becomes evident as the tumour grows and normal bone is replaced by tumorous bone. The soft tissue over the affected bone will also swell and appear painful. Tumorous bone is not as strong as normal bone and can break with minor injury. This type of broken bone is called a pathologic fracture and may be the finding that confirms the diagnosis of bone tumour. Pathologic fractures will not heal and there is no point in putting on casts or attempting surgical stabilization. At this point the only way to stop the pain is through amputation. Details.

OSTEOSARCOMA OF THE JAW Details.

OSTEOSARCOMA OF THE RIB Details.

PLASMACYTOMA Details.

PROSTATE CANCER Details.

SOFT TISSUE SARCOMA Details.

SOFT TISSUE SARCOMAS Soft Tissue Sarcomas (STS) are tumors of mesenchymal tissue. Mesenchymal cells are cells of the connective tissue the body which include fibroblasts, muscle cells and blood vessel lining cells). Most STS arise from the skin, subcutaneous tissue (tissue immediately below the skin), or palate. The cause of STS is not generally know except in the case of the feline sarcoma virus that is thought to be associated with feline vaccinations or after high grade doses of radiation. There are several different types of STS and these include: fibrosarcoma, neurofibrosarcoma, synovial cell carcinoma and hemangiopericytoma. They may arise from any anatomic site in the body. They tend to be very aggressive locally, in that they like to send out microscopic tumour cells deep into the surrounding tissue and complete surgical removal is extremely difficult. These tumours infrequently metastasize (spread) to far away parts of the body. They respond poorly to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Details.

SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA The squamous cell carcinoma is tumour of the epithelial cells (eg. skin) and is often one of the most heart-breaking tumours. The tumour is rapidly invasive locally but does not spread in the way we usually think of a cancer spreading until late in its course. This would seem to be a positive aspect lending itself to potential surgical removal and cure, but unfortunately that’s usually not the case. The tumour tends to arise in locations where surgery is challenging or where the tumour isn’t detectable until surgery is no longer possible. It can occur in the mouth, on the nose, the ears, toes and thorax. White haired cats are 13 more times likely to develop it than cats with coloured coats. Common dog breeds to develop this cancer are the Scottish terrier, Pekingese, boxer, poodle, Norwegian elkhound and the daschund. Details.

Other cancer types.