How to Treat Mast Cell Tumors in Boxers
Scan your Boxer’s skin for bumps., Monitor the size and appearance of the bumps., Watch your Boxer for signs of digestive upset., Determine if your Boxer has respiratory problems., Look for problems with wound healing., Have your vet diagnose your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Scan your Boxer’s skin for bumps.
Mast cell tumors can form just about anywhere on, or just underneath, your Boxer’s skin.
There may be just one bump, or multiple bumps.The bump will look like a raised hump.
Common locations for mast cell tumors are the abdomen, upper thigh, and chest. -
Step 2: Monitor the size and appearance of the bumps.
Mast cell tumors often vary in size and appearance.
They can look red and swollen with ulcers.Or, they might look like harmless bumps, with no signs of inflammation (e.g., redness, swelling).Mast cell tumors are known for changing in size—if you notice a bump is big one day and small the next, it may be a mast cell tumor.Mast cell have granules containing substances that control allergic reactions and inflammation.
A mast cell tumor changes in size based on what substance is released from those granules.Mast cell tumors can feel soft or solid to the touch.However, simply touching the mass cell tumor can trigger a reaction and change in appearance., Mast cells are located throughout the body, including the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.If cancerous mast cells have spread to your Boxer’s GI tract, he may show signs of digestive upset:
Decreased appetite Vomiting, which may be bloody Black or dark feces Abdominal pain (indicated by a hunched posture) Mast cell tumors can cause stomach and intestinal ulcerations.If you see blood in your Boxer’s vomit or feces, it’s probably due to these ulcerations. , In addition to the skin and GI tract, mast cells can be found in the respiratory tract.Mast cell tumors in your Boxer’s respiratory system can cause coughing and difficulty breathing., Mast cell tumors can make wound healing take longer.
If your Boxer has a cut or scrape that is taking longer than usual to heal (e.g., bleeding for a long time, a scab forming very slowly) the delayed healing may be due to a mast cell tumor., Mast cell tumors cannot be diagnosed only on physical appearance.
In addition to a physical examination, your vet will perform several diagnostic tests.
Your vet will first take blood and urine samples to analyze your Boxer’s overall health and determine if he’s healthy enough to handle the rigors of cancer treatment.Fine needle aspiration (FNA) can provide an initial mast cell tumor diagnosis.
FNA is a non-surgical procedure during which your vet will use a small, thin needle to obtain a small sample.It is usually performed before a biopsy.A biopsy, which is the surgical removal of a large sample, confirms a mast cell tumor diagnosis.
The biopsy will let your vet know how aggressive the tumor is, as well as its physical margins (barrier between tumor and healthy cells).Under a microscope, mast cells looks like look fried eggs filled with dark granules.Your vet may perform several other diagnostic tests, including chest x-rays, abdominal ultrasound, and ultrasound-guided FNAs of different organs (e.g., liver, spleen), to determine the tumor’s stage (how much it has spread throughout the body)., Surgery is usually the best option for treating mast cell tumors.It is ideal for mast cell tumors that are not aggressive and have not spread.
However, if the mast cell tumor has spread to other body parts, then surgery would not be practical.
Other treatment options, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, would be needed.
Your vet will use the diagnostic test results to determine if your Boxer’s mast cell tumor can be treated with surgery, and if your Boxer is healthy enough for surgery. , If your Boxer has surgery, your vet will prescribe several medications for your Boxer to take before surgery.
The medications will help prevent some of the secondary effects of mast cell tumors.
Benadryl, for example, will keep mast cells from releasing histamine, which plays a role in allergic reactions.
Your vet will also prescribe a medication to prevent stomach ulcers.Prednisone, a steroid, is commonly given before surgery to shrink the tumor.Prednisone has several negative side effects, including vomiting and diarrhea, increased water intake and urination, and GI bleeding.Follow all prescription instructions carefully. , During surgery, your vet will take up to several centimeters of healthy tissue around the tumor.
Wide surgical margins are needed to remove as much of the tumor as possible.
However, local spread of the tumor can make complete surgical removal difficult.The tumor biopsy would help your vet determine how far to cut around, and under, the tumor.
The location of the tumor could also make complete removal difficult.
For example, wide margins could be challenging if the tumor is on your Boxer’s head.After surgery, your vet will likely have a sample of the tumor analyzed to determine if the surgical margins were wide enough to remove the entire tumor.
If not, then your Boxer may need a second surgery.
Following surgery, your vet will give you at-home care instructions for your Boxer, such as monitoring his incision and giving him medications. , Chemotherapy works by disrupting the cell cycle of cancer cells and stopping their development.For very aggressive mast cell tumors, chemotherapy may be an effective treatment option.
Several chemotherapy drugs, such as vinblastine, are available to treat mast cell tumors.Your vet will decide which combination of chemotherapy drugs to use for treatment.
Chemotherapy can be used to kill tumor tissue that was not removed during surgery.
It can be also be used if the tumor has spread to nearby lymph nodes.Be aware that chemotherapy drugs can have serious side effects, including liver damage and weakening of the immune system.
Also, a mast cell tumor’s response to chemotherapy is unpredictable., Radiation therapy uses a targeted beam of radiation to damage DNA in cancer cells, causing cell death.It can be used in several different ways to treat mast cell tumors, such as when complete surgical removal is not successful.It can also be used to prevent tumor spread to local lymph nodes.If your Boxer cannot undergo a second surgery, radiation therapy would help provide long-term tumor control in the area where the tumor was removed.Radiation therapy requires general anesthesia.
Your Boxer may experience some discomfort at the site of radiation, which would be treated with pain or anti-inflammatory medications.Radiation therapy is expensive.
In addition, the nearest veterinary center that could administer radiation therapy may not be convenient for you to get to., Some newer drug therapies can be effective for treating mast cell tumors.
These drugs, called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), prevent the development of cancerous mast cells.Your vet can determine if TKIs will benefit your Boxer.
TKIs are more targeted than chemotherapy drugs, meaning they will primarily target cancer cells and avoid healthy cells. -
Step 3: Watch your Boxer for signs of digestive upset.
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Step 4: Determine if your Boxer has respiratory problems.
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Step 5: Look for problems with wound healing.
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Step 6: Have your vet diagnose your Boxer.
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Step 7: Discuss treatment options with your vet.
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Step 8: Give your Boxer medication before surgery.
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Step 9: Allow your vet to remove the tumor.
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Step 10: Have your vet administer chemotherapy.
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Step 11: Consider radiation therapy for your Boxer.
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Step 12: Discuss other drug treatments with your vet.
Detailed Guide
Mast cell tumors can form just about anywhere on, or just underneath, your Boxer’s skin.
There may be just one bump, or multiple bumps.The bump will look like a raised hump.
Common locations for mast cell tumors are the abdomen, upper thigh, and chest.
Mast cell tumors often vary in size and appearance.
They can look red and swollen with ulcers.Or, they might look like harmless bumps, with no signs of inflammation (e.g., redness, swelling).Mast cell tumors are known for changing in size—if you notice a bump is big one day and small the next, it may be a mast cell tumor.Mast cell have granules containing substances that control allergic reactions and inflammation.
A mast cell tumor changes in size based on what substance is released from those granules.Mast cell tumors can feel soft or solid to the touch.However, simply touching the mass cell tumor can trigger a reaction and change in appearance., Mast cells are located throughout the body, including the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.If cancerous mast cells have spread to your Boxer’s GI tract, he may show signs of digestive upset:
Decreased appetite Vomiting, which may be bloody Black or dark feces Abdominal pain (indicated by a hunched posture) Mast cell tumors can cause stomach and intestinal ulcerations.If you see blood in your Boxer’s vomit or feces, it’s probably due to these ulcerations. , In addition to the skin and GI tract, mast cells can be found in the respiratory tract.Mast cell tumors in your Boxer’s respiratory system can cause coughing and difficulty breathing., Mast cell tumors can make wound healing take longer.
If your Boxer has a cut or scrape that is taking longer than usual to heal (e.g., bleeding for a long time, a scab forming very slowly) the delayed healing may be due to a mast cell tumor., Mast cell tumors cannot be diagnosed only on physical appearance.
In addition to a physical examination, your vet will perform several diagnostic tests.
Your vet will first take blood and urine samples to analyze your Boxer’s overall health and determine if he’s healthy enough to handle the rigors of cancer treatment.Fine needle aspiration (FNA) can provide an initial mast cell tumor diagnosis.
FNA is a non-surgical procedure during which your vet will use a small, thin needle to obtain a small sample.It is usually performed before a biopsy.A biopsy, which is the surgical removal of a large sample, confirms a mast cell tumor diagnosis.
The biopsy will let your vet know how aggressive the tumor is, as well as its physical margins (barrier between tumor and healthy cells).Under a microscope, mast cells looks like look fried eggs filled with dark granules.Your vet may perform several other diagnostic tests, including chest x-rays, abdominal ultrasound, and ultrasound-guided FNAs of different organs (e.g., liver, spleen), to determine the tumor’s stage (how much it has spread throughout the body)., Surgery is usually the best option for treating mast cell tumors.It is ideal for mast cell tumors that are not aggressive and have not spread.
However, if the mast cell tumor has spread to other body parts, then surgery would not be practical.
Other treatment options, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, would be needed.
Your vet will use the diagnostic test results to determine if your Boxer’s mast cell tumor can be treated with surgery, and if your Boxer is healthy enough for surgery. , If your Boxer has surgery, your vet will prescribe several medications for your Boxer to take before surgery.
The medications will help prevent some of the secondary effects of mast cell tumors.
Benadryl, for example, will keep mast cells from releasing histamine, which plays a role in allergic reactions.
Your vet will also prescribe a medication to prevent stomach ulcers.Prednisone, a steroid, is commonly given before surgery to shrink the tumor.Prednisone has several negative side effects, including vomiting and diarrhea, increased water intake and urination, and GI bleeding.Follow all prescription instructions carefully. , During surgery, your vet will take up to several centimeters of healthy tissue around the tumor.
Wide surgical margins are needed to remove as much of the tumor as possible.
However, local spread of the tumor can make complete surgical removal difficult.The tumor biopsy would help your vet determine how far to cut around, and under, the tumor.
The location of the tumor could also make complete removal difficult.
For example, wide margins could be challenging if the tumor is on your Boxer’s head.After surgery, your vet will likely have a sample of the tumor analyzed to determine if the surgical margins were wide enough to remove the entire tumor.
If not, then your Boxer may need a second surgery.
Following surgery, your vet will give you at-home care instructions for your Boxer, such as monitoring his incision and giving him medications. , Chemotherapy works by disrupting the cell cycle of cancer cells and stopping their development.For very aggressive mast cell tumors, chemotherapy may be an effective treatment option.
Several chemotherapy drugs, such as vinblastine, are available to treat mast cell tumors.Your vet will decide which combination of chemotherapy drugs to use for treatment.
Chemotherapy can be used to kill tumor tissue that was not removed during surgery.
It can be also be used if the tumor has spread to nearby lymph nodes.Be aware that chemotherapy drugs can have serious side effects, including liver damage and weakening of the immune system.
Also, a mast cell tumor’s response to chemotherapy is unpredictable., Radiation therapy uses a targeted beam of radiation to damage DNA in cancer cells, causing cell death.It can be used in several different ways to treat mast cell tumors, such as when complete surgical removal is not successful.It can also be used to prevent tumor spread to local lymph nodes.If your Boxer cannot undergo a second surgery, radiation therapy would help provide long-term tumor control in the area where the tumor was removed.Radiation therapy requires general anesthesia.
Your Boxer may experience some discomfort at the site of radiation, which would be treated with pain or anti-inflammatory medications.Radiation therapy is expensive.
In addition, the nearest veterinary center that could administer radiation therapy may not be convenient for you to get to., Some newer drug therapies can be effective for treating mast cell tumors.
These drugs, called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), prevent the development of cancerous mast cells.Your vet can determine if TKIs will benefit your Boxer.
TKIs are more targeted than chemotherapy drugs, meaning they will primarily target cancer cells and avoid healthy cells.
About the Author
Gerald Anderson
A seasoned expert in technology and innovation, Gerald Anderson combines 16 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Gerald's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
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