Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
COX-2 enzyme found in most canine nasal tumors before radiation
By Kleiter, Miriami et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2004·Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in canine epithelial nasal tumors.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at nasal tumors in dogs and found that a specific enzyme called COX-2 was present in 81% of the samples tested. This enzyme is linked to tumor growth and may explain why these tumors often don’t respond well to radiation therapy. The researchers suggest that using a COX-2 inhibitor along with radiation could be a promising treatment option for dogs with these types of tumors. Further studies are needed to see if COX-2 levels can help predict how well a dog might respond to treatment.
People also search for: dog nasal tumor treatment · COX-2 inhibitor for dogs · canine nasal cancer prognosis
Abstract
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an enzyme upregulated in some human and animal tumors. Enzymatic products are associated with tumorigenic activities. Given the poor response of canine nasal tumors to radiation, we considered the possibility that some of this resistance may be associated with COX-2 expression. To test this, 21 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, and archived biopsy samples from canine epithelial nasal tumors were analyzed for COX-2 expression using immunohistochemistry. The biopsies were collected from dogs prior to radiation therapy. COX-2 expression was present in 17 of 21 (81%) tumors. The expression was observed in several different tumor types, including nasal carcinomas, adenocarcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas. Samples from five control dogs without nasal neoplasia were also analyzed for COX-2 staining. These specimens were characterized by varying degrees of lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis with scattered regions of COX-2 positive respiratory epithelial and stromal cells. Whether the intensity and distribution of COX-2 expression in nasal tumors can be used as a prognostic marker requires further investigation. A combination therapy of irradiation and a selective COX-2 inhibitor appears worthy of clinical investigation in the treatment of canine epithelial nasal tumors.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15200266/