Equine Cancer and Sarcoids

The Medicine and Soft Tissue Surgery services at the Equine Hospital offer comprehensive oncology services for sarcoids and other tumour types to our referring vets including:

Advice

Medicine and soft tissue surgery services offer over the phone advice to veterinary surgeons. Referring vets are encouraged to send digital images to equinereception@liverpool.ac.uk

Surgery

We perform a large number of diode laser surgeries for removal of single or multiple sarcoids with excellent success in line with the current literature. Depending on the location of the lesion(s) this can sometimes be performed on the standing patient on an outpatient basis or for more complex, advanced cases or where sarcoids are difficult to access general anaesthesia would be performed. We have set price procedure fees in place depending on the duration and type of surgery.

We are able to fully investigate and treat a wide range of other tumours including perianal melanomas and more extensive or unusual tumours e.g. mast cell tumours.

We have vast expertise in ocular and periocular oncologic surgery where we have had excellent success in removal of tumours including squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma as well as ocular lymphoma, mast cell tumours. Limbal squamous cell carcinoma before and after keratectomy

We can perform a full range of reconstructive surgery for difficult locations (for example eyelid surgery) including skin grafting or where indicated use of tissue expanders.

In selected cases, cryotherapy is also available.

Chemotherapy

We offer a wide range of topical options for various tumour types including sarcoids and squamous cell carcinomas. We offer a variety of products such as 5-fluoruracil, Tazarotene, Imiquimod, and Mitomycin C. We also offer intralesional therapy for lesions in which surgery or topical application of medication may not be appropriate such as periocular sarcoids and extensive perineal masses (melanomas/squamous cell carcima) as debulking or complete therapy options. Large fibroblastic periocular sarcoid in a donkey before and after treatment with intralesional Mitomycin C

Immunotherapy

We are one of the few centres in the UK to offer the Melanoma Oncept vaccine and have now used it on many cases.

We are also trailing new therapies including interferon for ocular squamous cell carcinomas.

Radiotherapy

We have previously offered iridium 192 brachytherapy, but due to limited availability of the source, are investigating moving to electronic brachytherapy.