Mammary Tumors
Fighting Breast Cancer
What are Mammary Tumors?
Female dogs have, on average ten mammary glands, five down each side. Mammary tumors are, unfortunately, very common. The equivalent in people would be breast cancer.
Not all lumps on the mammary tissue are tumors. Other diseases causing lumps include mastitis, an infection in the gland, or cysts. If you detect a lump in your dog you should seek attention from your veterinarian, as it is important to deal with tumors promptly. Smaller tumors have a better prognosis than larger tumors. The faster a patient is diagnosed, the better outcome of the procedure as Dr. Pedraza will be able to get wider margins during removal. It is not possible to tell by feeling or look which will spread and which will not. To find out, a biopsy sample of the diseased area must be sent away to a specialist laboratory for microscopic histopathology.
What are my options for treatment?
The best treatment for these tumors is surgery to remove them. On the day of the operation, it is likely that your veterinarian will ask to perform a blood test. This is to give an indication of the overall health of your pet. It may pick up on organ disfunction, which may or may not be related to the main tumor. We also recommend chest radiographs to look for any signs of spread of the tumor. Mammary tumors are sometimes quite aggressive and can metastasize, or spread, into the lungs. If no problems are found, surgery will be started promptly.
Dr. Pedraza will decide whether one gland or a set of glands needs to be removed. Sometimes, if there is a lot of fluid draining from the wound, we may suggest hospitalizing your pet over night.
Dr. Pedraza and his team have specific protocols for pain management during and after the removal. He believes that proper pain management is the key to obtain the best surgical results for each patient.