THE ROLE OF SURGERY IN THE TREATMENT OF COMMON TUMORS OF THE NOSE AND MOUTH

Until recently, patients with large oral and nasal planum tumors were often considered untreatable. However, surgery, alone or combined with adjuvant therapy, can often bring long-term or permanent relief of clinical signs. The oral cavity is the fourth most frequent site for malignant neoplasia in dogs and is also a common location for tumors in cats. More often than not, oral tumors are located in a region of the mouth that is amenable to treatment with partial maxillectomies and mandibulectomies. With malignant tumors, local disease control can often be obtained for a year or more; epulides can usually be cured.