Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Outlook for dogs with subcutaneous mast cell tumors after surgery
By Thompson, J J et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2011·Department of Pathobiology, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Canine subcutaneous mast cell tumor: characterization and prognostic indices.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at subcutaneous mast cell tumors (MCTs) in dogs, which are a type of skin tumor that can be serious. Out of 306 dogs with these tumors, only a small number experienced severe outcomes like metastasis (spreading to other parts of the body) or local reoccurrence after surgery. Most dogs had a good prognosis, with high survival rates over several years. The research found that certain factors, like the tumor's growth pattern and the number of dividing cells, could help predict how well a dog might do after treatment. Overall, most dogs with subcutaneous MCTs lived for a long time after surgery.
People also search for: dog mast cell tumor prognosis · subcutaneous tumor treatment in dogs · mast cell tumor survival rates
Abstract
Histologic grading schemes for canine cutaneous mast cell tumors (MCTs) were not developed for subcutaneous MCTs. Despite this, subcutaneous MCTs are currently categorized by many as grade II or higher. The aim of this investigation was to assess the pathology and clinical outcome for subcutaneous MCTs to provide a more accurate prognosis. Information on clinical outcome for 306 dogs was obtained from veterinarians and correlated with histologic features. Mean and median follow-up was 842 and 891 days, respectively (range, 3-2,305 days). Only 27 (9%) were confirmed as mast cell-related deaths. Metastasis occurred in 13 (4%), and 24 (8%) had local reoccurrence, even though 171 (56%) cases had incomplete surgical margins. Median survival time was not reached, and the estimated 6-month, 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival probabilities were 95%, 93%, 92%, and 86%, respectively. Dogs were euthanized or died as a result of local tumor reoccurrence, additional MCT development distant to the surgical site, or metastasis. Decreased survival time was linked to mitotic index (number of mitotic figures per 10 high-power fields), infiltrative growth pattern, and presence of multinucleation. Both univariable and multivariable analysis showed mitotic index to be strongly predictive of survival, local reoccurrence, and metastasis. The results of the study indicate that the majority of subcutaneous MCTs have a favorable prognosis, with extended survival times and low rates of reoccurrence and metastasis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21078881/