Unfortunately, many of us have experienced cancer, either personally or with loved ones. Despite this, I find a great deal of misunderstanding amongst pet owners when it comes to cancer in their furry friends. First of all, we need some definitions. There are several key terms to come to grips with in the process of understanding this disease. This is also termed a neoplasm.
Tumors can appear in virtually any tissues of the body.
In dogs, we commonly see tumors in the lymph nodes, skin, bone, and internal organs such as the liver, spleen, and pancreas. Many tumors in dogs are benign, that is they have a favorable prognosis for recovery. However, under some conditions benign tumors can recur in the same location. I see this most frequently with mammary tumors in dogs. Cancer cells, unlike benign tumor cells, exhibit the properties of invasion and metastasis.