Many types of cancer develop in dogs. The prefix "hemangio-" refers to the blood vessels. Hemangio cancers begin in the blood vessels. The type of treatment and prognosis depends on the type of hemangio cancer diagnosis your dog receives, where it is located, surgical results and response to therapy. As with all cancer, prognosis is best when treatment begins before it has spread.
-
Identification
-
Skin forms of hemangiosarcoma are visible growths. The growth will be black or rosy red, typically on areas exposed to the sun or have little hair, like the stomach. Subcutaneous forms, which are under the skin, appear as lumps covered by normal skin. Spleen tumors are rarely noticeable unless very large. Hemangiopericytomas are generally located on the legs. According to The Merck Manual, hemangiopericytomas appear as tumors with irregular borders, several lobes and are firm.
Diagnosis
-
Your veterinarian may begin diagnosis with an examination, x-rays or ultrasounds. Diagnosis of cancer generally requires examining samples of the growth. Your veterinarian extracts samples removing the growth, taking a piece of it through surgery or with needle aspiration. The type of cancer is determined by the location and appearance of the cancer, and the evaluation of the sample.
Hemangiosarcoma
-
Hemangiosarcoma, malignant blood vessel cell tumor, can develop in any area; but the most common areas are in the skin, spleen and heart. According to Wendy C. Brooks, D.V.M., VeterinaryPartner Educational Director, hemangiosarcoma, other than in the skin, often spreads rapidly and may cause internal bleeding.
Hemangiopericytomas
-
Legs are the common site for hemangiopericytomas. Hemangiopericytomas are generally on the skin or under the skin. They are malignant tumors, grow aggressively and often spread locally, according to University of Georgia veterinarians Colin Hurd, Perry J. Bain, Heather L. Tarpley, Melanie E. Johnson, Pauline M. Rakich and Kenneth S. Latimer. These tumors are more common in older and medium to large breed dogs, and more common in females, according to The Merck Manual. Although mostly on the legs, trunk tumors are possible.
Treatment
-
Hemangiosarcoma tumors in the skin or subcutaneous are surgically removed with an attempt to get a clean, cancer free margin. Since 60 percent of subcutaneous tumors have spread, treatment may include chemotherapy. Other types of hemangiosarcoma respond best to both surgery and chemotherapy. Chest x-rays, and spleen and heart ultrasounds, help evaluate if it has metastasized, according to Brooks. According to Hurd, surgery is the main treatment for hemangiopericytomas, with radiation for tumors surgery that does not have a clean margin.
Prognosis
-
Hemangiosarcoma in the skin, if removed early and clean margins obtained, has an excellent cure rate. Subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma has a 6-month survival rate with surgery only, according to Brooks, hemangiosarcoma in other tissue has a poor prognosis, and temporary remission is typically the best outcome. Heart and spleen survival rate with surgery and chemotherapy is about 6 months. Prognosis for hemangiopericytomas is excellent when surgery results in clean margins. Without clean margins, recurrence and surgery that is more extensive are common. According to The Merck Manual, because 30 percent of hemangiopericytomas recur, chemotherapy and radiation may improve the prognosis.
-