Canine Oral Melanoma

Canine Oral Melanoma Treatment

Canine melanoma is traditionally treated with surgery and/or radiation therapy for the local tumor, surrounding tissues and local lymph nodes. Supporting therapy is often required to control the growth of distant (metastatic) cancer cells.^1,2

Until recently, the most popular option for supporting therapy for many cancers was chemotherapy. But some cancers, such as canine melanoma, are known to be highly resistant to chemotherapy.² In fact, chemotherapy may do little to prolong survival in cases of canine oral melanoma.^1,2 This is why many researchers have focused on immunotherapy as a potential therapy for controlling the growth of tumor cells.

Recently, a therapeutic vaccine has become available on a limited basis. This vaccine is indicated for the treatment of dogs with stage II or stage III oral melanoma and for which local disease control has been achieved (negative local lymph nodes or positive lymph nodes that were surgically removed or irradiated).³

¹Bergman PJ, et al. Development of a xenogeneic DNA vaccine program for canine malignant melanoma at the Animal Medical Center. Vaccine 2006;24:4582-4585.
²Bergman PJ, et al. Long-Term Survival of Dogs with Advanced Malignant Melanoma after DNA Vaccination with Xenogeneic Human Tyrosinase: A Phase I Trial. Clinical Cancer Research 2003;9:1284-1290.
³Product label.

More Info 1

How do chemotherapy and immunotherapy compare?

Chemotherapy involves powerful drugs that are introduced systemically to kill cancer cells throughout the body. They are usually given in cycles: a course of treatment is followed by a period to recover from the side effects, then another cycle of treatment and recovery begins.
Immunotherapy involves a vaccine or drug that stimulates the body’s own immune system to control the growth of tumor cells. Treatment/recovery cycles are not required with therapeutic vaccines, but booster doses are required periodically.

2

What should I expect from treatment for canine oral melanoma?
It depends on how far the cancer has advanced and the treatment that is prescribed for your dog. If surgery involves removal of nearby bone tissue, it can require a fairly lengthy recovery time. If the cancer is aggressive and has metastasized, distant treatment may be required on an ongoing basis with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Your veterinarian is the best source of information for your dog’s specific case.

3

How effective are surgery and radiation therapy?
Recent studies have shown that traditional therapies for melanoma (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy) only provide temporary relief for the patient and are not curative. However, promising new immunologic approaches may change that.*

*Gyorffy S. Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cell Vaccination of Dogs with Naturally Occurring Melanoma by Using Human gp100 Antigen. J Vet Intern Med 2005;19:56-63.

Bergman PJ, et al. Development of a xenogeneic DNA vaccine program for canine malignant melanoma at the Animal Medical Center. Vaccine 2006;24:4582-4585.