General Considerations
- dermal melanoma is rare in cats but 50% are malignant
- etiology is unknown but alterations in oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and immune surveillance are involved
- feline melanoma can be induced experimentally with FeSV but unlikely to be involved naturally
- mean age 10-12 years
- sites: head and especially ocular and eyelids
Treatment
- surgery
- ± gene therapy, radiation therapy, local hyperthermia, photodynamic therapy, and intralesional cisplatin
- durable response to course-fraction radiation therapy
- responses are short-lived for photodynamic therapy, hyperthermia, and intralesional cisplatin
- chemotherapy is usually ineffective (agents include mitoxantrone, doxorubicin, platinums, and melphalan)