+ 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
+ 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)
