New Approaches to Squamous Cell Cancer
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
Updated: May 15th, 2024
A cancer we see in from time to time veterinary hospitals is called squamous cell carcinoma.
Even though it is not as common as other cancers in dogs, for any dog lover coping with this diagnosis, it is a huge issue. These cancers are not fun.
First of all, especially in advanced cases, they are hard to remove completely. They tend to spread out into neighboring tissue, making complete removal hard at times. Sometimes they occur in areas that are hard to operate in like the nose or some areas in the mouth.
Sometimes radiation is used for squamous cell carcinoma treatment. Radiation can help shrink them to some extent.
If you are close to a veterinary university, you may be able to access photodynamic therapy, which is a way to use light waves to shrink these cancers. This technique has shown real promise.
Another problem with squamous cell carcinomas is they have not responded well to chemotherapy. However, we may be looking at some new developments in this area that could help squamous cell carcinomas.
Recently it has been uncovered that this type of cancer, and some others, may be susceptible to a particular class of substances. These are known as COX-2 inhibitors. Read more here.
Usually, these are drugs that have been used to control inflammation. Now it is being shown that they may help induce cancer cell suicide, and this cancer type is one where they may help.
Cancer cell suicide is called apoptosis.
Although we do not yet have perfect drugs to create this anti-cancer effect, there is some evidence that some of the COX-2 inhibitor drugs may help.
For those who want to use pharmaceuticals, an option to discuss is piroxicam. This was shown to help a bit in almost a third of dogs with squamous cell tumors. Here is the study to read for yourself.
There are also some natural compounds that can help. I have written about these at length in The Dog Cancer Survival Guide, and also in this blog. These include things like curcumin, luteolin and others.
These substances are able to shut down the enzyme COX-2. This enzyme makes a chemical signal in the body called PGE-2. This chemical signal is a central player in the onset of cancer as well as progression. It is nasty.
PGE-2 makes cancer cells resist apoptosis, which means they don’t die (like they should). Apoptosis genes that are supposed to be turned on in cancer cells, after they get deranged and start multiplying. Chemical signals like this one prevent these genes from turning on, and cancer cells are able to keep growing instead of being dismantled by apoptosis.
Your oncologist will be abreast of this information, and many veterinarians in private practice will be as well. However, if your dog has a squamous cell tumor and this topic has not come up, don’t be afraid to be your dog’s health advocate and bring it up!
You can get these supplements on line. Apocaps contains these agents in combination form, or you can get the indivudual ones. Here and here are some other posts on these supplements for more information.
All my best,
Dr D
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
UPDATE: My yellow lab named Armondo that I posted about on August 22, 2012 above, had to be put down today dispite my efforts to save him. His SSC grew to the point where it blocked his airway and this morning his breathing was very very labored. I gathered him up immediately and took him to my vet. By the time I got there, he had gotton very pale. I hugged him while the doctor gave him his injection and he passed away. I am filled with sorrow. Back in October I took him to the Animal Specialty Center where he had 3 cyberknife treatments. I was hoping that the treatment would give Armondo at least another year. Initially, it looked promising as by the middle of November the tumor had disappeared. Then a month later in December it came back with avengence, it had grown from nothing to 2cm in a month. So the writing was on the wall and my vet sent me home with a months worth of prednizone. Armondo lasted about a month and 1/2 from December to today. May you rest in peace my baby boy.
Gineen,
I am so sorry about Armondo!! He was a fabulous dog, and I was honored to meet him. His tumor was so aggressive, but know you did all you could and gave him every chance. He was lucky to have you as him mom!
With sympathy, Dr Sue
My dog, Sophie, has adenocarcinoma and very high calcium levels. She also has diarrhea and has trouble going to the bathroom. She has received pamidronate and is on mirtazapine and prednisone. Below is the list of medications and supplements I am considering giving her. Are there any of these medications and supplements she should not take or should not take in combination with another drug?
Mirtazapine 15mg tablets
Prednisone 20mg tablets
Apocaps
Vascustatin
AveUltra
Beta Glucan
Enymes
Krill Oil
Multi-vitamin
Thank you for your help.
I HAVE A 10 MONTH JRT FEMALE WITH A ULCURATIVE WART LIKE
GROWTH ON HER RIGHT HIND QUARTERS. I AM ALMOST
SURE IT IS SQUAMOUS CELL CANCER. WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS
BESIDES IMMEDIATE REMOVAL OF THE FAST GROWING WART LIKE
TUMOR?
GIGI IN MISSISSIPPI
Carla,
I just saw your post back in February of this year. Have the Apocaps worked for you? If so how long did they help him? I am so worried about the same thing you are. I started giving my dog Apocaps, but I don’t know if it is working. I am sorry that you have/had to go through this too. I too don’t know what I am in for. Is there anything you would have done different? I know that for both of us the end doesn’t look good but I just wish I could somehow know the signs when my dogs breathing becomes so labored that it is time to put him down. Right now he is still happy and eating.
Wishing you and Ty the best.
Gineen
Hi Dr D.
I have researching things and it is causing me to have many questions, one of which is soy lecithin (I read that it could actually increase tumor size) and soy.
Can you comment on this which is a part of many ingredients claiming to be good for dogs and humans?
Thank you
P.S. My appointment with Cornell has been moved to Sept 5, which is sooner, 6 more days but my dog is coughing more, swallowing harder, etc. I have your apocaps, onco, krill, better dog food, vitamin C and probiotics, I dont know what more I can do.
Dr. D.
Would or neoplasene cause my dogs tumor to sloth off and leave a hole and possibly get into his lungs?
Gineen
Hi Dr. D.,
I have an 11 yr. and 4 mth old yellow lab that has a SCC behind his epiglattus.
It is 2X4 cm. My local Vet visualized the tumor about a week and 1/2 ago by looking in his throat while sedated. She also said the the tumor involves the arytenoid cartilage.
His symptoms are horse voice, occasional gagging as of late, and loud snoring. He’s happy, no decreased appetite, however I have to encourage him to drink and he was a big water drinker before this. I notice the louder breathing about 6 months ago and it has got increasingly louder. My local vet also xrayed his lungs and read them as clear.
I have consulted with a surgeon. He had my Vet’s notes and said that since the tumor is in a difficult place and involves the surrounding area, sugery could not get it all with clean margins. He said that the oncologist on staff has experimented with freezing, however in this case since the tumor is in the airway, he was concerned that the tumor would end up in my dogs lungs when it fell off. The oncloygist was not there to consult with, and the surgeon said that he would speak with him about our options and get back to me on Friday Aug, 24 2012. So now I am waiting. But what I would really like to do is get as much of the tumor out that is possible without alturing the dogs anatomy to buy him some time and try other options to shrink it. I told the surgeon this and he said that I could spend a lot of money, e.g., $2500 for surgery and get only a month. He said there is no way to know how long it would give my dog. In the mean time nothing is getting done and time is going by.
So I have contacted Cornell University, he has an appointment with them on Sept 11, 2012. I feel like it will be too late by then. Right now all I have to look forward to is my dog choking to death!!!
I don’t know what to do and I want the best for him in terms of quality of life. I have started him on a better diet and took some of your suggestions.
Considering what I have told you is there is anything else that I should be doing? I feel like he is not getting the help he needs and running from one dr to another is just taking more time, I am confused and it is hard to stay on one path.
Gineen
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Is there anything I can buy to help stop a bleeding oral squamous cell carcinoma for my dog. She is 12 years old. I am giving her ES Clear. I have read about yunnan baiyao, but don’t know if there might be something else I can get for her. The ES Clear is certainly helping her to eat better and she seems to feel better
Dear Dr Dressler,
I need your help urgently my 8yr old Golden retriever Shannon has been diagnosed with Tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma . Her right tonsil is is affected and she has a tumour the size of my fist .She is at present treated with Metacam a Cox 2 inhibitor . However i have heard That Neoplascene compound is a possible treatment .. I am in the Uk and my Vet has not heard of this compound and how the dog can be treated with it . Would appreciate any help you can provide.
Dear Ronald
sorry to hear about your Shannon.
Yes, neoplasene can be used:
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/neoplasene-as-a-dog-cancer-treatment/
Have your vet contact Dr. Terrance Fox at Buck Mountain.
For more information I would take some time to read the Guide about diet and other supplements that may help.
Best
Dr D