We all love Reno’s 252 annual sunny days, but the sun, high elevation, and frequent high winds create the perfect opportunity for Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC), a common malignant skin cancer of horses. SCC is a locally invasive, malignant tumor, seen most commonly on non-pigmented (pink) skin. It rarely spreads to other locations in the body, but it is does have a very high recurrence rate after treatment, because the cancer sends extensive “roots” of neoplastic cells deep into tissues surrounding the initial tumor site.

The typical appearance of SCC is a red, raised, often bleeding area on pink skin around the eyes, sheath or vulva, but tumor appearance can vary widely. EARLY DETECTION, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT ARE CRTICAL. Tumors are treated with surgical excision followed by either cryotherapy or chemotherapy. I chose a course of cisplatin injections after removal for this tumor, with an excellent outcome. CONTACT YOUR VETERINARIAN IF YOU SEE ANY SUSPECT LESION!


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