All canine diagnoses

Your dog was diagnosed with Cutaneous Plasmacytoma. Benign-behaving round cell tumour of the skin. Excellent prognosis with surgical excision. Distinct from extramedullary plasmacytoma (which has more variable behaviour) and multiple myeloma. Compare 1 treatment option for dogs including Surgical Excision — with survival times, costs, and what to expect during treatment.

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Cutaneous Plasmacytoma

BreedsCocker SpanielAiredale TerrierScottish TerrierStandard Poodle
canine

Round Cell

About This Cancer

Cutaneous plasmacytoma is a round cell tumour arising from plasma cells — the mature B-lymphocytes that normally produce antibodies. When this tumour develops in the skin, it is almost always benign in behaviour, appearing as a small, solitary, raised lump. It is important to distinguish this from the more serious conditions of extramedullary plasmacytoma (which can develop in the mouth or digestive tract and behave more unpredictably) and multiple myeloma (a cancer of plasma cells within the bone marrow). The prognosis for cutaneous plasmacytoma is excellent: surgical removal is typically curative, and recurrence after complete excision is rare. Cocker Spaniels, Airedale Terriers, and Scottish Terriers appear to be at slightly higher risk.

Prognostic Factors(1)
Solitary vs multipleSolitary cutaneous plasmacytomas have excellent prognosis. Multiple or mucosal plasmacytomas warrant workup for multiple myeloma.
Minimum Workup(4 steps)
1Fine-needle aspirate cytology (often characteristic round cells with eccentric nuclei)
2Histopathology for definitive diagnosis and to rule out other round cell tumours
3Staging generally not required for solitary cutaneous plasmacytoma
4If multiple masses or mucosal location: full staging including CBC, biochemistry, serum protein electrophoresis, urine Bence Jones proteins to rule out multiple myeloma

Median Survival Time Comparison

How long the average patient survives with each treatment

Bar opacity reflects evidence strength
Surgical Excision
See notes
Reading this page: MST (Median Survival Time) is how long the average patient survives with a given treatment. ORR (Overall Response Rate) is the percentage of patients whose tumour shrank or disappeared. CR = Complete Response (tumour gone); PR = Partial Response (tumour shrank). Hover over any abbreviation for a quick explanation.
Strength of Evidence

Each treatment is rated by how much published research supports its use. Solid bars indicate stronger evidence; dashed bars mean less certainty.

StrongLarge published studies with strong agreement among veterinary oncologists.
ModerateWidely used in clinical practice, but supported by smaller or retrospective studies.
IndirectEvidence comes from a different tumour type or species and has been applied here.
LimitedVery little published data is available for this specific treatment.

Please note: All treatment data is sourced from published peer-reviewed literature. Survival times and cost figures are approximate guides. Your pet's individual factors — including tumour grade, stage, and overall health — will influence outcomes and should guide all treatment decisions. The strength-of-evidence rating reflects how much research exists, not how strongly a treatment is recommended. This tool is designed to help you have informed conversations with your veterinary oncologist, not to replace them. Costs shown are US referral centre estimates and may vary significantly by region.