One out of every 20 dogs with cancer, are diagnosed with canine malignant melanoma. The pigment-producing cells of the skin known as melanocytes, start to multiply in an erratic fashion. It typically begins in the mouth or around the toes, and can spread within the body to the heart,lungs, intestines and other organs. Canine malignant melanoma is known for being one of the most aggressive cancers in dogs, and deadly.
Some signs to watch out for, are lesions that have irregular borders and different colors on your dogs skin, and especially in the mouth. It could be be brown or black, with different shades of white, blue, or red. These lesions usually grow quickly. According to the National Canine Cancer Foundation, "Melanomas can occur in areas of haired skin, where they usually form small, dark (brown to black) lumps, but can also appear as large, flat, wrinkled masses. Melanoma of the haired skin in dogs is usually a benign tumor, although it can cause severe discomfort. In contrast, malignant melanoma, which develops in the mouth or in the distal limbs (usually the toenail beds), is an incurable disease. These tumors have very often spread to distant parts of the body (metastasized) by the time they are first noticed, making complete surgical removal impossible."
Traditional treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are well known tools to fight canine malignant melanoma. In the past few years a DNA vaccine has been developed as well, and as of 2007 has been approved by the USDA. Some people may call this vaccine a miracle, although it is not necessarily a cure. It has been shown to cause significant cancer remission in 40% of dogs with melanoma. Merial the drug manufacturer, states that the vaccine works by making the dogs immune system attack Tyrosinase, which is a protein present on canine melanoma cells.
