Canine Melanoma

Canine melanoma is the most common malignant tumor found in the mouth.^1,2 It also is seen on the skin and in the nail bed and footpad¹ and is the most common neoplasm of the dog’s eye.³

All cases of oral melanoma should be considered malignant and potentially fatal, regardless of the lab results.⁴

Melanoma tumors of the mouth can grow rapidly and quickly spread to lymph nodes, liver, lungs and kidneys.⁵

¹	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.
²	Bergman 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.
³	Smith SH, et al. A Comparative Review of Melanocytic Neoplasms. Veterinary Pathology 2002;39:651-678.
⁴	Cronin K. Canine and feline oral tumors: Earlier is better. DVM 2005;36(8):22.
⁵	Liao JCF, et al. Vaccination with human tyrosinase DNA induces antibody responses in dogs with advanced melanoma. Cancer Immunity 2006;6:8-17.

More Info 1

Is canine melanoma caused by too much sun exposure?

Unlike human melanoma, canine melanoma is not caused by sun exposure.* The name comes from the fact that melanoma originates in the cells associated with melanin, but the most dangerous canine melanomas, especially oral melanoma, have no connection to sun exposure.

*Smith RM, Canine melanoma treatment shows early success. Wisconsin Journal of Science – Special Feature Issue. Fall 2006. Available at: http://www.petcancervaccine.com/
melanoma/index.shtml
1F-1N-F06.php. Access October 17, 2011.

2

Did you know?

Skin tumors are common in older dogs – but are often benign. Skin tumors are less common in cats – but are usually malignant. (In dogs, melanoma is much more deadly when in occurs in the mouth or other tissue.)

*What you should know about cancer in animals. American Veterinary Medical Association. Available at:
https://ebusiness.avma.org/EBusiness50/
ProductCatalog/product.aspx?ID=103.
Accessed October 17, 2011.

3

The name reveals its source.

As a rule, the name of a cancer comes from its cell of origin or primary site.* So all tumors growing from melanocytes are called melanoma, whether they are found on the skin, mouth, footpads or eyes.

*What is Cancer? American Cancer Society. Available at http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerBasics/
what-is-cancer.
Accessed October 17, 2011.