Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Outcome of soft tissue sarcoma surgery in 350 dogs
By Bray, Jonathan P et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2014·Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Canine soft tissue sarcoma managed in first opinion practice: outcome in 350 cases.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 350 dogs diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma underwent treatment at their regular veterinary practices. Most of the surgeries were unplanned, and only a small number of dogs had a diagnosis before surgery. The good news is that about 70% of the dogs survived for at least five years, although some did experience local recurrence of the tumor. Factors like being younger than 8 years old, having smaller tumors, and having tumors that were well-defined were linked to better survival rates. This suggests that understanding the tumor's behavior is crucial for determining the best treatment approach.
People also search for: dog soft tissue sarcoma treatment · dog tumor survival rates · what to expect after dog surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine outcome of dogs with a diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma managed in first opinion practice. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, case-controlled study ANIMALS: Dogs (n = 350) with primary occurrence of a soft tissue sarcoma. METHODS: A previously validated questionnaire was sent to all veterinarians requesting clinical information and ultimate outcome for all dogs. Histologic sections were reviewed by a single pathologist. RESULTS: Most surgeries were unplanned, with only 15 (4%) dogs having a histologic and 59 (16.8%) dogs having a cytologic diagnosis before surgery. Median survival time for all dogs was not reached with 70% proportional survival at 5 years. Local recurrence developed in 73 (20.8%) cases. The extent of resection performed was not associated with improved survival (P = .2) or tumor recurrence (P = .8). Age <8 years (χ(2)  = 6.1; P = .01), tumors <5 cm in size (χ(2)  = 9.6; P = .002) and discrete tumors (χ(2)  = 16.6; P < .001) had improved survival outcomes. On multivariate analysis, a high tumor grade was significant for recurrence (HR 5.8; P < .001; 95% CI: 2.2-14.8). Evidence of a selection bias towards less aggressive tumors being managed in first opinion practice was confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: Wide resection margins are not the primary determinant of outcome for all soft tissue sarcoma. Veterinarians need to better understand the biologic behavior of a suspected soft tissue sarcoma before treatment to allow surgical margins to be adjusted accordingly.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24724565/