🔍 Key Findings
Source: Bush et al., 2023, Veterinary Surgery
- Median survival time (MST) after surgery was 1886 days, which is significantly longer than previously reported.
- Lymph node metastasis at surgery was a negative prognostic factor, reducing MST to 248 days (vs. 2340 days without nodal involvement).
- Local recurrence occurred in 42% of dogs, with a median disease-free interval (DFI) of 191 days.
- Metastatic disease occurred in 32% of dogs, most commonly to the lungs, with a median DFI of 299 days.
- Histologic features (e.g., margin status, capsular, lymphatic, or vascular invasion) were not significantly correlated with recurrence or metastasis.
- Facial nerve injury occurred in 9.7% perioperatively, especially after parotidectomy; intraoperative facial nerve transection led to long-term deficits.
- Adjuvant therapies (chemotherapy, radiation, NSAIDs) did not significantly affect survival time.
- Incisional biopsy was only 38% concordant with final excisional histology, suggesting limited reliability for definitive diagnosis.
