Stage 3 Melanoma in Dogs: What Can We Do Next? | Dr. Nancy Reese Q&A

[@madisonshea07]

Thank you for this video. This information helped me feel more confident in the decisions I have made for my dog with oral melanoma so far. Would Dr. Nancy Reese recommend mandibulectomy if it has not metastasized to the lymph nodes? 1 oncologist I visited recommended the surgery and 1 oncologist did not recommend due to the high chances of the cancer turning up elsewhere even if it is not showing now.

[@DogCancer]

So glad to be of service! As for mandibulectomy, that is such a nuanced decision, and so much depends upon the case, the skill of the surgeon (their confidence in handling that case), lifestyle factors, and, as you mention, the likelihood it will spread. The calculation in the end is this: if there is an oral melanoma in the body, it is probably going to metastasize at some point, and may have already done so. Removing it can help treat any local pain that might be there (if you've ever had a toothache, you can imagine the pain that MIGHT be present), and also eliminate that tumor as a source of metastasis. However, it may have already spread, in which case you're not preventing metastasis that has so far been undetected. So if you can afford the surgery and also deal with the aftercare, it's time to ask the surgeon who is comfortable doing the surgery questions like "about how much time will this get us?" and "is it possible there is undetected spread, and if so, is this going to help prevent more of that?" and "what would be the pros and cons of doing this surgery?" By asking questions about their thinking, you'll gain plenty of insights into what might or might not be helpful for your dog.

[@peachdiamantechannel]

Why don't you discuss dog food pellets is the culprit of cancer.

[@DogCancer]

Dr. Dressler has been talking about the high -temp cooking of kibble as being a culprit since 2007! This is all over our site, too. Here's an article about acrylamide: www.dogcancer.com/articles/causes-and-prevention/acrylamide-in-dog-food/ which Dr. Dressler wrote about in his book, The Dog Cancer Survival Guide. If we tried to fit all 500 pages of information about cancer in every video ... phew. They would all be so long! ;-)