Transmissible venereal tumor: a retrospective study of 29 cases

Abstract

Twenty-nine cases of naturally occurring, transmissible venereal tumor were studied retrospectively. The external genitalia was the primary site of tumor involvement in 27 dogs, with the remaining two dogs having primary intranasal involvement. Extragenital tumor involvement was identified in six cases, including five cases with metastatic disease. Fifteen cases were treated effectively with radiation therapy alone. Radiation therapy also was effective in four cases that were resistant to chemotherapy. Four of five cases treated with at least four doses of vincristine as a solitary agent also achieved complete remissions. Transmissible venereal tumor remains a unique canine tumor that often is curable despite the development of extragenital primary lesions or metastasis.