A tumor has just been identified in our 9 yr old scottish/cairn terrior. It's on the back of his tongue and is a pretty good size. The recommended procedure is to remove it and biopsy it at the same time. There is a slim chance it's non-cancerous but we are preparing based on the percentages. He is otherwise healthy and not showing any swelling in the lymph nodes.

We don't know how aggressive it is because we don't know how long it's been there. We just noticed him over the past couple of weeks coughing due to the tumor getting in the way.

The question we have for anyone on this forum who may have experience or knowlege in this area, is whether we should consider alternative treatment for the tumor instead of removing it. The thought being that if it is cancerous, the removal can sometimes trigger a more agressive return of the tumor. Whereas if we treat it w/ alternative treatments, perhaps the tumor could reduce in size w/out surgery. 

We've heard of remedies like tumeric and baking soda/maple syrup that have been known to be effective in reducing tumors. 

Appreciate any comments from anyone.