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  Discussion on Treatment for Melanomas
Author Message
Member:
Sr26953

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 17, 2005 - 8:12 am:

https://www.wendals.com/equindex.htm

However, it appears the site is just going up and is not as complete and easy to navigate as one would like. Best to check with a distributor of the product. But the website has a number you can call (in England). There is also a place where you can post your questions:https://www.wendals.com/equindex.htm. Please let me know what you find out as I also have a grey with melanoma at his tail. I was told not to worry but I'd like to stay on top of everything I can do to prevent more or prevent this one from becoming cancerous if it is possible.

Suzanne
Member:
Eoeo

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 17, 2005 - 9:51 am:

You might try putting food grade peroxide (buy it at healt food stores)in their water at the rate of a capful to 5 gallons. It is supposed to help reduce existing melanomas and prevent them from getting new ones. It is worth a try. EO
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Aug 18, 2005 - 6:14 am:

Neither of the above are tested and I have a hard time finding any logical mechanism of action. For other choices see the article Equine Diseases » Skin Diseases » Bumps / Nodules / Warts / Tumors » Melanomas.
DrO
Member:
Sr26953

Posted on Thursday, Aug 18, 2005 - 8:56 am:

Thanks DrO. I was reading some of the articles and relieved to find that melanomas in greys are least likely to become cancerous. Also, Alex is five so this is an early melanoma, which it seems is also in our favor. I do want to learn how to recognize one and especially to distinguish it from just a healed over scar so I can at least be aware if he is getting more and track the progress of the one(s) he has. The one the vet identified in the pre-purchase is beside his tail and frankly, I have yet to find it on my own. I was not present at the pre-purchase.

Suzanne
Member:
Eoeo

Posted on Thursday, Aug 18, 2005 - 1:04 pm:

Dr. O, I have 4 grey mares on the place. One has many melanomas on her tail, one has one, and the other two do not have any as yet. I am going to try the peroxide treatment on the two with them and I will let you know what it does if anything. That, at least, will be a two rat study. I will do this for 90 days, that should be long enough to see some results, shouldn't it? EO
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Aug 19, 2005 - 7:53 am:

I am uncertain LKR. The problem is that hyDrOgen peroxide is a powerful oxidant (H2O2). If fairly rapidly degrades when exposed to organic material. I would think it likely that when ingested it would rapidly degrade (to H2O and O2) and therefore have no "active ingredient" to act upon the cancer. If your horses get better it would be hard to explain why with respect to the peroxide.
DrO
Member:
Eoeo

Posted on Friday, Aug 19, 2005 - 9:36 am:

The way I understand the thought on this is that it is supposed to raise the level of oxygen in the system, supposedly, cancer can't prosper in an oxygen rich environment. If they got better doing this, and I wasn't doing anything else, it will have to be attributed to the peroxide, correct? EO
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Friday, Aug 19, 2005 - 12:02 pm:

If cancer can't grow in an oxygen rich environment, do they use hyperbolic chambers to treat cancer in either animals or humans? Just am curious?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Aug 19, 2005 - 6:06 pm:

Let's address the big problem (of many) with this idea that, "increased oxygen will kill the cancer". The opposite is true, one of the limiting factors on tumor growth is blood vessel development: the tumor's growth is controlled by the rate it can grow new vasculature. Many of our modern cancer drugs act by limiting the growth of new blood vessels so limit the rate of growth. If there was an effect from increased O2 levels it would be to increase the growth of the tumor. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) is often used to increase the rate of rapidly multiplying cells in severe wounds, a similar situation to cancer where cells are also multiplying quickly.

While HBO is used in cancer therapy it is used to help the human tissues damaged by chemicals and radiation. There is a thought that HBO might increase the efficacy of some treatments by increasing the rate of propagation of the cancer making them more susceptible to radiation and chemicals which act on the dividing RNA and DNA.
DrO
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Friday, Aug 19, 2005 - 7:09 pm:

Very interesting.

I've got to go read the articles with this now. I have lots of grays, but for some reason, no melanomas. However, we just had an older gray boarder come in who has several on his genitals and under his tail. So, I need to educate myself a little more.
Member:
Corinne

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 20, 2005 - 11:23 am:

We just had one small melanoma treated. It was under my 7 yr old grey's tail, approximately 5 mm in size, located 3 or 4 inches from his anus. Had been watching it for a year. It had grown 1-2 mm in that year and the skin started to turn dry and waxy over it, so like I would watch a mole, I told our vet it had changed appearance. Our vet recommended cryotherapy and did not offer tagamet therapy. He froze it without incident, although Demetrius needed sedation as the sound of the application device scared him. That was a few months ago and there has been no reappearance, of that one, or of any clusters surrounding the area. It did generate a significant scab and left a bit of a scar the size of a quarter but I am happy with the results so if any of you have to choose that option for treatment it was quick and so far....so good. Will keep you all posted to let you know if the treatment worked!
Member:
Leseb

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 20, 2005 - 1:27 pm:

I met a person who is using an herbal mix from Earth Angle and has had success with this product.
Member:
Leseb

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 20, 2005 - 1:31 pm:

That should have been Earth Angel Herbs.
Member:
Redalert

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 20, 2005 - 5:53 pm:

I know that this sounds crazy, BUT, I was surprised to get the okay from my vet on treating Melanomas with Cimetidine ... there have actually been surprising good results from some Cimetidine use. I fed it to an Arabian mare off and on for several years, and it really seemed to shrink the tumors! What studies have been done on Cimetidine use,if any, DrO?
Nancy
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 20, 2005 - 6:36 pm:

Hello Nancy,
We have a complete description of its use in the article on melanomas and several reports of summaries of case studies.
DrO
Member:
Redalert

Posted on Thursday, Sep 22, 2005 - 9:13 am:

Hey DrO
Just found it ... Thanks!
Nancy
(GO DOGS, RUFF, RUFF, RUFF)
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Sep 23, 2005 - 8:16 am:

GO DAWGS!!!
WOOF, WOOF, WOOF!

ESPN2 at 9pm Saturday evening we find out who has the Bulldogs with the mostest.
DrO
New Member:
Mariss

Posted on Friday, Sep 23, 2005 - 8:47 am:

I am taking care of a grey mare who has a gazillion melanoma. The vet has her on cimetidine. I accidentally gave her almost twice as much as prescribed for about a year. When it was realized it was reduced to the prescribed amount. This happened because the maker was changed and the tabs were a different size. Since we went back to the recommended dose her melanoma have more than doubled in amount and size. I feel so bad for her. I don't know if going back to the "overdose" would help again. It is harmless apparently.
Member:
Hboggini

Posted on Friday, Sep 23, 2005 - 5:02 pm:

Hi
I as well have a grey TB mare with melanomas. She started with just one at the age of six at the inside base of her tail. She is now 18 and it is the size of a lg grapefuit. We have done the cimetdine and I also have gone the hollistic route with her. She has grown many more and they are all around her rectum and vagina. My question at this time is can they get so big that they block her from having BM? She does seem to be straining a bit more when she defecates. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. She still is a great horse to ride and a sweetheart.
Thanks Heidi
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Sep 24, 2005 - 10:30 am:

I have not seen such Heidi, but if one ringed the anus it would be possible. I consider this unlikely. When they have gotten to this stage usually the reason folks decide to quit dealing with it is the chronic ulceration and infections are so unappealing that they put the horse down. Once they have reached this size and extensiveness surgical excision, freezing, etc is not practical. Can you give me the treatment details (amounts and frequency) on the cimetidine.
DrO
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