We recently learned our nine year old male (n) has a mass cell tumor in his mouth. It extends from the septum back towards the right jaw line approximately 4 cm. To arrive at this diagnois our vet took seven samples four in and around the mouth gum line and three other lumps for reading by a pathologist. The lumps came back as fatty lymphomas. I am trying to gather as much information people might have to share about this type of tumor. Our vet is making arrangements to have the tumor biopsied for grading and staging by an oncologist at a nearby vet school after which we will determine what if any further treatment we will pursue. Any advice experiences people have to share will be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Hi there - please just confirm - you mentioned that your Vet also took samples from other masses. You called them "fatty lymphomas" - please confirm that the other masses were not fatty lipomas?

My post should have read lipomas. Thank you for noticing the typo.

I have a girl here that was diagnosed with oral tumors 4 years ago.
We decided to not do radiation or chemo. According to the information we received they advised that the mass be removed using laser surgery getting the closest margins possible and wait and see. It grew back slowly and the next time we removed it was about 1 1/2 years after the diagnosis. Things stayed relatively the same for about 1 1/2 before it needed to be removed again. To date it has been removed 4 times with this last time before Christmas being the final time they will do it. Fancy will be 14 in May and she still jumps up and down every morning for her toast. The last time it was removed they said it couldn’t be done again because there is now cartilage growing into the tumor now. It is coming back again, but very slowly this time. She has lost a few teeth because of it, her jaw is deformed because of it, but she is happy and except for the tumor she is healthy. Removal of the tumor has given her quality of life for the last 4 years. I couldn’t put a dog through radiation and chemo, I see people everyday who go through it and I can’t imagine making her go through that.
For us the removal has worked. As long as she is happy and living a quality of life she will be given every day she wants to live it. I believe when it is time she will let me know but as of the moment I handed over her toast this morning, that time isn’t looking like it is coming soon.

You probably mean Mast Cell tumor? If you do an internet search you will get some good info.
A lot depends on the grade and stage. The oncologist may want to do an ultrasound and/or organ needle biopsies to see if it has spread.

My dog made it a year before the small grade 2 mast cell tumor in the groin area came back and metastasized. When it recurred I was living only eight miles from WSU veterinary hospital, so believe me we tried everything. Should we have done all that we did? Probably not, unfortunately there is not a very high success rate with treating advanced mast cell cancer.

My email is bayhorse17@netscape.net if you want to talk more about what you and your pup are going through later.

Best wishes,

Laurel

Did you mean a mast cell tumor? If so you'd need to have it removed with wide margins. That was not the case with my boy and there was not a good outcome. Afterward a nurse told me that if mast cell tumors are "stirred up" without removing with wide margins that the cancer spreads quickly. Maybe someone can confirm or refute this theory.

In any case I hope you have answers soon, with a good prognosis and outcome.

"Did you mean a mast cell tumor? If so you'd need to have it removed with wide margins."

Yes that is the case, as wide of margins (talking several cm's) as possible, in ALL directions. But with a tumor that big in the mouth it doesn't seem like very wide margins would be possible.

The oncologist is probably going to recommend radiation therapy +/- debulking the tumor... I would think in the mouth from the position you're describing, surgery alone would be difficult without taking out part of the jaw.

My dog survived about a year with chemotherapy after his mast cell tumors spread systemically. He was not a good anesthetic candidate for a variety of reasons, so radiation wasn't a good option for him. Remember too that dogs react very differently to chemo & radiation than humans (actually have MUCH fewer complications compared to people!)- your oncologist will be able to help you decide which options are the best for you and your dog.

I hope this helps, and please know that lots of us have been there... Natalie

UPDATE: We've spent the last couple of days discussing options we might have available. Our local vet is assisting us with arranging a consultation and further diagnosis with an oncology specialist next week. From that we will be able to make some decisions as to how and if we will seek treatment.