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Pictures of skin tags on horses11/4/2023 ![]() ![]() Horse owners should always check eyes when handling their horses, to become aware of any abnormalities. Thus it is important to deal with SCC in the early stages. One way to tell if it has spread is to check the lymph nodes in back of the jaw, to see if they are enlarged. ![]() If the cancer spreads it will destroy the eye and eventually kill the horse. If the growth on the eyeball is neglected too long, however, the eye itself may need to be removed. Surgical removal is followed by chemotherapy or cryotherapy (freezing) to make sure there are no stray cancer cells left in the area,” Labelle says. “Growths on the eyeball itself, by contrast, usually need more meticulous surgical intervention to try to save the eye. “Lesions on the third eyelid or the eyelid itself can often be treated on-farm, without bringing the horse to a veterinary hospital,” says Labelle. She prefers this method over chemotherapy agents, which can be toxic to the people handling the drug. She perfected this method for equine eyelid tumors–injecting the photoactive agent directly into the tumor bed (after debulking the tumor with surgery), and using a laser to stimulate the photodynamic agent in those tissues to kill any residual tumor cells. This involves giving the patient a photodynamic agent, then using a laser to direct a focused light to destroy the tumor cells and associated blood vessels. The horse’s eyelid skin is tightly adhered to the bone beneath it there is no extra, loose skin like that of a dog.ĭuring the past 10 years she has successfully treated more than 30 horses using local PDT. If part of the eyelid has to be removed, it is nearly impossible to do reconstructive surgery. “Eyelids present a challenge in horses, because if you can’t save the eyelid, you can’t save the eye,” she says. She has been researching the use of local photodynamic therapy (PDT) to treat growths on eyelids. Treatments include surgery to remove the tumor, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiofrequency hyperthermia, COX inhibition with piroxicam, cryotherapy (freezing) and local photodynamic therapy,” says Giuliano. “The choice of treatment may vary, depending on cost, location and size of the tumor, frequency of treatment needed, etc. “Treatment is always more effective if begun early, when the tumor is small,” says Giuliano. Once a diagnosis is established, options for treatment may depend on how early the lesion was discovered-whether it is still very small or has become large, and where it is located. The best way to know if a suspicious lump is cancerous is to have your vet perform a biopsy and have the tissue sample checked for cancerous cells. There is research evidence that SCC in other locations, particularly the penis, may be due to equine papilloma virus, but we are not yet sure if this is the case in lesions of the eye,” Labelle says. “Recent studies suggest that equine papilloma virus may be a factor in development of some lesions. ![]() Appaloosas and Paints/Pintos also have more eye cancers–probably because many of them have white areas around the eyes, with lack of pigmentation to give protection from UV rays. “Haflingers and some draft breeds have more cases,” Labelle says. Some breeds tend to have more incidence of SCC. This might be what the owner notices first, and then a closer look at the eye may reveal the early stages of cancerous growth. Often the affected eye will be squinting, watering, or have a yellow/white discharge. “It can distort the tissues or create a mass on the surface of the eye,” she says. Amber Domino Labelle, assistant professor and veterinary ophthalmologist, University of Illinois, says cancerous growths may also occur at the junction between the cornea-the clear surface of the eyeball–and the conjunctiva that covers the white of the eye. It may be ulcerated or bloody,” says Giuliano.ĭr. On the eyelid it usually appears as a raised lump or proliferating mass of tissue that is redder than the surrounding tissue. “It can affect the eyelids, third eyelid, conjunctiva or cornea. Elizabeth Giuliano, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Missouri. SCC is the most common primary tumor of the equine eye, according to Dr. On horses with unpigmented (pink) skin, SCC may appear anywhere the skin is thinly haired (less protection from UV rays), such as around the vulva or sheath, or on the eyelids. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common kinds of cancer in cattle, humans and horses, affecting skin and other epithelial tissues (such as the surface of the eyeball).
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