Principles of oncologic orofacial surgery

The most common orofacial tumors of dogs are malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and acanthomatous epulis. These tumors vary significantly in their metastatic potential, but are consistently locally invasive. Bone involvement is common, and complete excision often requires partial mandibulectomy or partial maxillectomy. Survival times after surgery are most strongly influenced by tumor type (or metastatic rate) and tumor location. Recent large retrospective studies have reported median survival times ranging from 4.6 to 26 months. The most common oral tumor of cats is squamous cell carcinoma. This is a highly invasive tumor that occasionally can be effectively treated with surgery alone, but that often requires a combination of surgery and radiation therapy.