The Facts

• They are more frequently recognized in cats than in dogs
• They develop more frequently in aged animals
• The tumor is often observed as ulcerated plaques on the head, extremities, or neck
• They generally show some sort of continuity with the epidermis (skin), can be locally invasive, and appear in multiple areas of the body
• Local or systemic metastasis rarely occurs for this type of cancer
• Treatment of choice is surgical removal of the tumor

In Cats

• Persians are predisposed

In Dogs

• These tumors are generally seen in older dogs
• Several breeds are more susceptible, such as Saint Bernards, Scottish Terriers, and Norwegian Elkhounds
• Most basal cell carcinomas show evidence of cornification, for this reason they can also be called basosquamous cell carcinomas
• Unlike canine basal cell tumors, basosquamous cell carcinomas do not have a tendency to develop on the head and can be found almost anywhere on the body where they have continuity with the epidermis (skin) and appear as nodules or plaques
• These tumors are locally invasive but seldom metastasize