Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Extensive testing does not help predict outcomes in dogs
By Fejös, Csilla et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2022·Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Extensive staging has no prognostic value in dogs with low-risk mast cell tumours.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that dogs with low-risk mast cell tumors (MCTs) generally do not need extensive testing to check for spread, as it rarely happens in these cases. In the study, 99 dogs were evaluated, and all cases of distant metastasis were found in high-risk dogs, which had factors like rapid growth or high-grade tumors. The survival time for high-risk dogs was significantly shorter, averaging just 84 days, while low-risk dogs had a much longer survival time. This suggests that if your dog has a low-risk MCT, less aggressive staging may be sufficient and more beneficial.
People also search for: dog mast cell tumor prognosis · low-risk mast cell tumor treatment · dog tumor staging necessity
Abstract
In canine mast cell tumours (MCTs), distant metastasis (DM) occurs infrequently. However, high-risk MCTs or tumours with certain negative prognostic factors (NPFs) are those more prone to develop metastatic disease. Accordingly, a thorough workup might not be necessary for MCTs lacking NPFs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of DM and, therefore, the benefit of extensive staging in dogs presenting with and without NPFs. Furthermore, the association between the selected NPFs and DM was assessed, and factors that may have influenced outcome were evaluated. Dogs presenting with at least one NPF (Patnaik III/Kiupel high-grade, LN metastasis, rapid growth, ulceration, recurrence, high-risk location) were defined as high-risk and without as low-risk MCTs. Ninety-nine dogs were included, with 49% of MCTs in the high-risk and 51% in the low-risk group. All seven dogs with DM were identified in the high-risk group; 43% were Patnaik III/Kiupel high-grade tumours. The median survival time (MST) for this subgroup was 84 days. Patnaik III/Kiupel high-grade and rapid growth were NPFs significantly associated with DM at staging. Furthermore, a significant difference (p < .001) in MST was demonstrated between the high-risk and low-risk groups (899 days vs. not reached). NPFs significantly associated with outcome were rapid growth, presence of DM at staging, and surgical tumour excision. These results indicate that extensive staging in the absence of NPFs does not seem to be beneficial. On the other hand, by using the selected NPFs, a subset of MCTs prone to DM can be identified.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34564910/