[Oropharyngeal tumors of dogs--a clinical study of 79 cases]

This study presents the data on incidence, TNM-classification and therapy outcome of 79 dogs with oropharyngeal tumors, which were admitted to the Clinic of Small Animals, Hannover School of Veterinary Medicine. 52 neoplasms were examined histologically. The most common tumors were malignant melanoma (n = 17), fibrosarcoma (n = 5), squamous cell carcinoma and peripheral odontogenic fibroma (n = 4). It could be determined that dogs treated by surgery, regardless of tumor type and type of surgery, had longer survival times than untreated dogs. With regard to survival time and the rate of local tumor recurrence, radical surgery (partial mandibulectomy/maxillectomy) led to good results in squamous cell carcinomas and invasive odontogenic tumors, but, keeping in mind the small number of cases, showed no advantage over conservative surgery in malignant melanomas, fibrosarcomas, neurofibrosarcomas and non invasive odontogenic tumors. It could be shown that the clinical staging of the patients was of prognostic relevance.