Surgical margins for cutaneous and subcutaneous mast cell tumors in dogs

Surgical margins of 2 to 3 cm have traditionally been proposed for wide resection of subcutaneous and cutaneous mast cell tumors (MCTs) in small animal patients, with these margins determined on the basis of gross appearance and palpation. However, a recent report proposed the use of proportional margins. Most clinical studies report the use of 1 to 2 mm, histologically determined tumor-free margins, as the definition of clean margins for MCT resection, although 1 study required at least 5 mm. In a recent poll of veterinary surgical oncologists, 4 mm appears to be the most commonly used cutoff value for histologically clean margins.

Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - October 1, 2015 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Clinical Pathology Source Type: research