Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and fibrosarcoma (FSA) are dogs' second most common mouth tumours after melanoma.
SCC and FSA are both locally aggressive cancers that infiltrate the tissues around the mouth, causing pain and discomfort. The metastatic rate is however quite low around 10-20%. Most dogs that are not treated will die or be euthanized due to the progression of cancer in the mouth once it causes difficulty or inability to eat or drink.
treatment of SCC and FSA
The treatment of choice is wide surgical resection, including a large portion of the lower or upper jaw.
Despite surgery being the most effective treatment, the recurrence rate for SCC and even more fibrosarcoma is reasonably high with~ 20-50% of cases experiencing recurrence.
Surgery followed by radiotherapy can be more effective if a complete resection is not achieved.
Most dogs with completely resected fibrosarcoma or SCC can be cured.
Advanced non-resectable SCC can be successfully treated with a combination of various chemotherapeutic targeted therapies and/or radiotherapy.
Around 60-80% of SCCs respond to medical treatment and/or radiotherapy.
While these cancers are serious, timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment can give many dogs a chance at a
