Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Testing myogenin and MyoD1 to diagnose dog muscle cancer
By Tuohy, Joanne L et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2021·3447Colorado State University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of Myogenin and MyoD1 as Immunohistochemical Markers of Canine Rhabdomyosarcoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old dog with a soft tissue tumor was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a type of cancer that can be tricky to identify because it looks similar to other tumors. The diagnosis was confirmed using special tests that looked for specific markers (myogenin and MyoD1) in addition to the usual test for desmin. In this study, 13 out of 16 cases were confirmed as RMS, and the dogs had varying survival times, with some living for over four years after diagnosis. This research suggests that using myogenin and MyoD1 alongside desmin can help veterinarians make more accurate diagnoses of RMS in dogs.
People also search for: dog tumor diagnosis · rhabdomyosarcoma in dogs · canine cancer markers · myogenin MyoD1 in dogs
Abstract
Canine rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) presents a diagnostic challenge due to its overlapping histologic features with other soft tissue sarcomas. The diagnosis of RMS currently relies on positive immunohistochemical (IHC) labeling for desmin; however, desmin expression is also observed in non-RMS tumors. Myogenin and MyoD1 are transcription factors reported to be sensitive and specific IHC markers for human RMS, but they are not widely used in veterinary oncology. The goals of this study were to develop an IHC protocol for myogenin and MyoD1, evaluate myogenin and MyoD1 labeling in canine RMS, and report clinical outcomes. Sixteen cases of possible RMS were retrospectively evaluated. A diagnosis of RMS was confirmed in 13 cases based on histological features and immunolabeling for myogenin and MyoD1, with the aid of electron microscopy in 2 cases. Desmin was negative in 3 cases of RMS. Two cases were of the sclerosing variant. The median age of dogs with RMS was 7.2 years. Anatomic tumor locations included previously reported sites such as bladder, larynx, heart, and orbit, as well as other locations typical of soft tissue sarcomas. Survival ranged from 47 to 1480 days for 5 dogs with available data. This study demonstrated that MyoD1 and myogenin should be included with desmin as part of a diagnostic IHC panel for canine RMS. Utilization of these antibodies to improve the accuracy of canine RMS diagnosis will ultimately allow for better characterization of the biological behavior and clinical outcomes of this disease, providing the groundwork for future comparative investigations in canine RMS.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33691532/