Acanthomatous Epulid - I don't want to remove half his jaw!

[irishgirl1]

Hi,
Not long back from the vets, have just been told that my adored dog, Loki, has acanthomatous ameloblastoma . I found this site whilst looking up a bit more information about it, as basically my vet said that it was quite rare, removal of part of his jaw was one option. Very interested in the alternatives, though at present (as he has just had a lump removed) we are going to wait and see if another one grows. The vets think that Loki taking Atopica for a skin condition can make the acanthomatous worse, but if he stops taking it then he (and I) go crazy with his scratching.
Loki is 11, a chocolate labrador and I would be devastated if anything happened to him, but I am worried about putting him through such major surgery at his age. Has anyone else had a dog of his age go through this? Any help appreciated Thanks!!