The Facts
- They are more frequently recognized in cats than in dogs
- They develop more frequently in aged animals
- The tumor is often observed as ulcerated plaques on the head, extremities, or neck
- They generally show some sort of continuity with the epidermis (skin), can be locally invasive, and appear in multiple areas of the body
- Local or systemic metastasis rarely occurs for this type of cancer
- Treatment of choice is surgical removal of the tumor
In Cats
In Dogs
- These tumors are generally seen in older dogs
- Several breeds are more susceptible, such as Saint Bernards, Scottish Terriers, and Norwegian Elkhounds
- Most basal cell carcinomas show evidence of cornification, for this reason they can also be called basosquamous cell carcinomas
- Unlike canine basal cell tumors, basosquamous cell carcinomas do not have a tendency to develop on the head and can be found almost anywhere on the body where they have continuity with the epidermis (skin) and appear as nodules or plaques
- These tumors are locally invasive but seldom metastasize
