Can a dog survive TCC?
With treatment, average survival times following diagnosis are between six and nine months. However, the quality of life for many pets being treated for TCC is good, and your pet should be happy and comfortable during their treatments.
How long can a dog live with TCC?
On average, dogs with TCC of the bladder live 4-6 months without treatment, and 6-12 months with treatment.
How aggressive is transitional cell carcinoma in dogs?
Any way you look at it, this transitional cell carcinoma is bad news. It is aggressively malignant and generally grows in an area not very amenable to surgical removal. If the tumor becomes so large and deeply invasive that the patient cannot urinate, an unpleasant death ensues in a matter of days.
Is there a cure for TCC in dogs?
As with most tumors, the initial treatment for transitional cell carcinoma in dogs is wide surgical removal. However, the tumor is frequently found in an area that is difficult to excise or is more extensive than can be assessed clinically. Therefore, surgery rarely will cure dogs with TCC.
Where does TCC metastasis to in dogs?
Canine TCC also has the ability to spread to lymph nodes and to other organs in the body (lung, liver, and other sites). TCC most frequently is found in the bladder, but can also develop in the kidneys, ureters, prostate, and urethra. It can also spread from the bladder into neighboring organs.
How is transitional cell carcinoma treated?
Current treatments for transitional cell carcinoma include: Endoscopic resection, fulguration, or laser surgery. Through a ureteroscope, physicians can destroy or remove cancer cells with direct tumor removal, electrical current, or laser.
Is transitional cell carcinoma curable in dogs?
TCC is most commonly located in the trigone region of the bladder precluding complete surgical resection. Medical treatment is the mainstay for TCC therapy in dogs. Although TCC is not usually curable in dogs, multiple drugs have activity against it.
What are the symptoms of TCC in dogs?
What clinical signs or symptoms do dogs with TCC have? Blood in the urine, straining to urinate, and making repeated frequent attempts to urinate are the most frequent signs of TCC in dogs.
