Squamous Cell Carcinoma - anyone else's horse had this?

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Hi

My horse was diagnosed today with squamous cell carcinoma on his eye. It's sort of on his eyeball half over his iris.

he will be going to Newmarket for an op to remove the lump, and then radiotherapy.

Has anyone else had this done? I would love to talk to someone whose horse has been through this.
 
So so sorry, although, no not my horse, but my cat. Diagnosed in January and i have learnt that it is a secondary cancer to a primary one somewhere else i.e internally (spleen, liver, pancreas). My cat has a very poor prognosis, steroids haven't helped and too old for chemo. (We're in palliative care now)

I want to hug you and your poor pony. I hope radiotherapy works for the localised area, however, be prepared that it is already somewhere else.

Sorry, no help equine-wise but I though I would share my experience with this horrid cancer and I'm hoping that in your case all will be well and it will be cleared.
 
Coh blimey tallyho! nothing quite like putting the fear of God into her before her horse goes for surgery - the positive of this is they are bothering to operate which suggest that the vet doesnt think its spread or they would not bother to treat!

Anyway, there was an article a few years ago posted about eyes in Horse and Hound, the bit about your title reads:
"One of the most dangerous eyelid tumours is squamous cell carcinoma. This affects the eyelid (or eye) especially in horses with pale eyelid margins or third eyelids. There are two main types of squamous cell carcinoma recognised by vets. The proliferative form appears as larger masses, while the destructive form results in erosion and destruction of the local tissues. The proliferative form is normally followed by the destructive and should be recognised quickly so action can be taken.

This condition also occurs on the surface of the eye, and in all cases there is a risk of malignancy and spread to adjacent structures. In the most advanced cases, the tumour can spread to other internal organs. The options for treatment are again limited by practicality and the need to kill every single tumour cell.

By the time such carcinomas are seen by a vet there is often already extensive destruction of the eyelid margins, so the scope for surgical repair is limited and involves significant reconstructive surgery. Surgical excision of tumours on the cornea and the third eyelid is, however, entirely feasible in most cases, except severely neglected ones.

There are options for medical treatment using anti-cancer eye drops or ointments in early cases, and in some such small tumours it may be possible for freeze the tumour. Inevitably there is risk that either the treatment is applied too late or will not remove the whole lesion. As is typical with cancers of any type, treatment has to kill or remove every single cancer cell — if just one is left behind, there is a strong possibility of recurrence, usually in a more aggressive form.

Although some unusual tumours occur in and around the eye, the most common ones are easily recognised. Confirmation of a diagnosis is usually reliant on biopsy, tissue scrapes or aspirates from the mass. The outlook is often far better than is first appreciated, provided diagnosis is made early.

In very rare types of tumour, it is usually not possible to give an idea of the realistic prognosis, and treatment methods are poorly characterised. Few vets have seen all the options, so in some circumstances the case may be best referred to a specialist centre for diagnosis and treatment. "
 
Of course Snowysadude, like your words were so much less scary... if not same species, I can at least offer a hug from someone going through the same thing.

p.s. vets will treat anything if it brings in cash so my advice is get second opinions... lots of!!!
 
My friends cob had one removed from his eye a few years ago. It healed really quickly and he has been totally fine eversince. You wouldn't even know it was ever there.
 
Forgot my bit on the end (which was the whole point of my post - sorry tired!)- very good friends mare had one, it was also removed and 8 years later hasnt come back (or affected anywhere else in his body) so I hope yours is exactly the same :)
 
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tallyho I am so sorry to hear that.

snowysadude and dotty1, how long were the horses out of work for? Was the recovery fairly straightforward?

I am talking to the AHT tomorrow to arrange treatment, but would like to get an idea of what to expect.
 
[deleted user] said:
tallyho I am so sorry to hear that.

snowysadude and dotty1, how long were the horses out of work for? Was the recovery fairly straightforward?

I am talking to the AHT tomorrow to arrange treatment, but would like to get an idea of what to expect.
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I think friend has an account on here so will get her to actually log in and talk to you if you want? I can remeber it being about 10 (ish) months before she got back on, but she is a worrier and didnt want to do things too soon - it was the radiotherapy that took the time as opposed to the operation and healing :)
 
I don't think he had radiotherapy, just the op to remove the cancer. He wasn't off work very long at all.
 
My mare had these in both eyes. She went to AHT and had both third eyelids removed by Mr Barnard. She was not there long. Had some ointment to put in when she came back. No radiotherapy. Was only off work a couple of weeks. Made full recovery and the only time you could tell was when her head was down grazing and her bottom eyelids flopped a little. Your boy is going to the best place and I wish you good luck and just be positive and don't worry......too much!!!
 
Yes, had a four year old mare who had it on her right eye, it came very quickly and grew quickly too. Vet removed it under sedation and local with no trouble, eye drops for the next couple of weeks. Then, two weeks later I saw it in the left eye top, vet repeated procedure and it never came back. Mare is now rising 8 with no further problems.
 
My horse has this in the third eyelid and has been operated on at the weekend, the vet tried to do it under sedation but when he pulled the third eyelid across the tumour went behind the eye and he explained he needed to cut it all out right down to healthy tissue so on Thursday i took him to an equine hospital under referral. They did it on Friday under General anesthetic and removed it all, they have to push the eye in apparently to pop the tissue out and then wash the eye out so no cells are left. Luckily we caught it in time and it hasnt spread. (Fingers crossed) He had to be kept in for three days and today is his first day out wearing a face mask on sunny days, in the summer i am going to turn him out at night and in during the day. My horse is a grey with very pink eyelids, Good luck and its not as bad as i thought it would be, he seems to have coped really well and isnt head shy. Keep us up to date with your horses progress.

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A friend of mine's horse had it on his 'Manhood', had an op to remove the whole thing, he now goes to the loo like a mare.

He is on chemo for the rest of his life now, but looking at him now considering what he's been through he looks fantastic. Post surgery took a while to heal etc and it looked pretty grim to be honest, but looking at him now you'd never know what he's been through.

Good luck with your gee gee, hope all goes well!
 
My skewbald gelding had this as a 6 year old on his inner eyelid, vet removed it but it started appearing again within days. So off to Newmarket and was removed again and the whole of the inner eyelid. Many weeks of treating twice daily through a cannula and wearing a contact lense to protect his sight whilst still treating. Specialist warned me that it would re-appear again - probably within the nasal passages etc. and within only a year or two.

He is now 20 years old and has never had a single sign of it either re-occurring or flaring up elsewhere in his body. Try not to worry too much - even the most bleak outlook sometimes has a happy ending.
 
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