Small Animal Surgery Summit Veterinary Referral Center Tacoma, Washington
Surgical planning for curative-intent wide resection of mast cell tumors, one of the most common locally invasive malignancies in dogs, is an evolving landscape. This presentation discusses the idea that recent studies that build upon prior work that suggest "X cm wide and one tissue plane deep" is an oversimplification. Some of the questions addressed include:
How wide is wide enough?
What factors go into pre-operative planning of surgical excision?
Is a 0% local recurrence rate really the goal, or is that over-treatment with excessive patient morbidity when applied to the population you treat?
When does local control of a mast cell tumor really matter vs. when might the importance of local control be superseded by concerns of metastatic disease?
Participation questions are welcome, as time is saved at the end for a thought-provoking discussion.
