Squarmous cell carcinomas are tumours which usually occur in older dogs and often appear as an ulcerated sore patch. If caught early enough, simple surgery, or cryosurgery can be successful, but sometimes major surgery is required with reconstruction techniques required in some cases.

In early caess there is a better chance of success, but occasionally the tumour will recur at the operation site, or spread to the lympth nodes in the neck. Unfortunately, these tumours can occur on the tonsils when recurrence after surgery is not uncommon. They can also occur elsewhere.

Fibrosarcomas are basically primary bone tumours, and develop in the connective tissue. They are usually seen in large breeds, and like all tumours, the sooner treatment is commenced, the better the result. nevertheless, although treatment is similar to that for squamous cell carcinomas, pallitation is possible and dogs can live happily for months, and occasionally years.

Malignant Melanoma affects primarily the guns and mucous membrane inside the mouth. Less frequently the palate and tongue can also be affected. Again, it is older dogs aged 10 plus that are affected and the main problem with this type of tumour is metastases . This usually results in the lymph nodes being affected, and it can spread to other organs, usually the lungs by the time diagnosis has been made.

Although there has been improvement with survival rates over the last decade as a result of improvement in methods of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, euthanasia is usually necessary, weeks rather than months after diagnosis and treatment.

Basal Cell Tumours usually originate from developing dental tissue. They can occur at any age, but mainly occur in quite young dogs of around 1 - 3 years old. Occasionally they have been seen in dogs as young as three or four months. As far as treatment is concerned, if they are spotted early and can be removed surgically the prognosis is good as they do not spread elsewhere. Radiotherapy is usually used as a follow up since this is a radio sensitive tumour.