Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lung lobe removal and treatment for primary lung cancer in dogs
By Treggiari, E et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2025·Oncopets, Italy·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Evaluation of lung lobectomy and adjuvant treatment for primary pulmonary carcinoma in dogs: 89 cases (2005-2022).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 11-year-old mixed-breed dog was diagnosed with primary lung cancer and underwent surgery to remove the affected lung lobe. After the surgery, the dog's survival time varied widely, with some dogs living over a year while others only a few months, depending on factors like tumor size and whether cancer had spread to lymph nodes. Dogs with smaller tumors (less than 5 cm) and no lymph node involvement tended to live longer. While chemotherapy was used in some cases, it didn't significantly change survival rates. Overall, the findings suggest that early detection and smaller tumors can lead to better outcomes for dogs with lung cancer.
People also search for: dog lung cancer symptoms · lung cancer surgery for dogs · dog survival after lung surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Primary lung cancer is relatively common in dogs. Despite the existing literature on long-term follow-up and outcome, further clinical studies focusing on a single histotype are needed, specifically about epithelial tumours since they are the ones most frequently detected. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of four European institutions were reviewed to identify dogs undergoing lung lobectomy for a primary lung carcinoma between 2005 and 2022. RESULTS: A total of 89 dogs were included. Median age was 11 years (range 5 to 17 years) and median body weight was 23 kg (range 2.5 to 47 kg). Overall median survival time was 252 days (range 6 to 1558 days) and overall progression-free interval was 140 days (range 7 to 684 days). The 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates were 61%, 47% and 30%, respectively. Presence of clinical signs at presentation, pleural effusion, completeness of surgical margins, histopathological features and use of adjuvant chemotherapy did not influence survival. Patients with maximum tumour diameter ≥ 5 cm had a reduced survival compared to patients with smaller tumours (median survival time 284 days vs. 717 days, 95% CI 8 to 719), and dogs with histologically confirmed lymph node metastasis had a reduced survival compared to patients with no evidence of local metastasis (median survival time 162 days vs. 614 days, 95% CI 39 to 760). None of the other assessed variables influenced progression-free interval. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Dogs with primary pulmonary carcinoma with no lymph node involvement and with a maximum tumour diameter of < 5 cm may have a better prognosis and prolonged survival. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in case of clinically aggressive lung cancer.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40281651/