Review of the Treatment of Canine Cutaneous Mast Cell Tumors

ABSTRACT
The most common skin tumor in dogs is the mast cell tumor, with an incidence of close to 20% in the canine population. The behavior and progression of MCT are highly heterogeneous, and range from relatively benign to extremely aggressive tumors. There are many treatment options for dogs with mast cell tumors, including surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Although surgical excision with or without adjuvant radiation may cure most patients with low grade mast cell tumors, there are additional options for dogs with aggressive high grade tumors. The aim of this article is to review the current literature for treatment options for canine cutaneous mast cell tumors.

REVIEW
Mast cell tumors (MCT) are the second most common ma-lignant tumor in dogs, and the most common canine cutane-ous tumor (1, 2). The behavior and progression of MCT are highly heterogeneous. Some MCT are behaviorally benign, develop slowly, and persist for years without increasing in size. Whereas other exhibit aggressive growth and progress rapidly to a fatal metastatic disease (2). Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, or a combination of modalities. The treatment should be based on the clinical features, clinical stage and grade (3). The aim of this article is to review the current literature for the treatment options of canine cutaneous mast cell tumors.
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