Malignant Melanomas

[Bitsandbobs]

Hi All

I wondered if you could help me answer some questions which I have searched every where for but unfortunately there seems to be so little reports anywhere.

If anybody has had a horse that has been diagnosed with malignant melanomas please could you let me know the outcomes, treatments tried and unfortunately if it is the case the time between the melanomas becoming aggressive and spreading to when you sadly lost your horse or pony?

I am awaiting needle biopsy results for my rising 8 year old grey which the ultrasound suggested are very likely malignant melanomas with rapdily changing cells all around them spreading in every direction.

I bought him as a just turned six year old the vetting didn't pick up the melanoma which was the size of a penny. They have been growing since very slowly but in the last six months have gotten very big, he now has four in his salivery glands and two under his tail. Two of which have appeared in the last month and the orginal one is now three inch by three inch.

All info would be much appreciated as I am very lost at the moment.

I have been told surgery is not an option and Cimetide is likely the only thing we can try

 

[sprite1978]

I am no expert in this by any stretch, but I did have a grey on loan with Melanomas which appeared around 9YO and he was ridden upto 19yo. He was finally PTS at 19 when he had an internal rupture brought on by the melanomas. Im sure there are various forms with different levels of agressive development, but this was my experience.

good Luck

 

[be positive]

Sorry not a good outcome for my horse, he had some small ones on his tail and crest, when he was 9 he competed at HOYS, it was his last show.

I retired him the following spring as they were growing rapidly, he was pts aged just 11 due to being unable to keep his weight on, he was a very greedy heavyweight cob, they just took over his whole body so quickly, even the vet was surprised how fast they grew.
I have known others that have gone for years with very little change, they have been less aggressive and the horses and one pony that was very bad as a 7 year old continued in full work, the pony is still going as far as I know, he must be about 18 now.

I hope you have more luck with your horse.

 

[AmyMay]

I suspect that if the tumours are in the salivary glands you are looking at a very poor prognosis, within a short timescale.

 

[itsonlyme]

I was always told that once they're showing externally, they're already riddled internally. I don't know how true that it. My grey had one under his tail for the 5 years we owned him - it never changed. He was pts at 14 with complications arising from Cushings.
The other grey i knew was pts by the hunt, but they had to condemn her meat because there were literally hundreds of tumors inside her. She was about 19 at the time and had had external melanomas for years and years with no problems.
I do hope your boy is ok xx hugs