Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How lymph node tumor spread affects survival in dogs with mammary
By Gonçalves, A D B B et al.·Published in Research in veterinary science·2021·Departamento de Patologia Geral, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Extracapsular extension and tumor implants in lymph nodes with canine mammary carcinoma metastasis: Study of the impact on survival.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A female dog with mammary cancer was found to have cancer spread to her lymph nodes, which can affect how long she might live. In a study of 84 dogs with similar conditions, researchers discovered that when cancer spreads beyond the lymph nodes (extracapsular extension) or forms new growths in them (tumor implants), the risk of death significantly increases. Specifically, dogs with both conditions had a much higher chance of a shorter life. This highlights the importance of checking for these issues in dogs with mammary tumors, as they can indicate a worse prognosis.
People also search for: dog mammary cancer survival · lymph node metastasis in dogs · treatment for dog breast cancer
Abstract
Regional lymph node status impacts survival in dogs with malignant mammary tumors. However, few studies have evaluated extracapsular extension and tumor implants in regional lymph node metastases in dogs with mammary carcinoma. Therefore, 84 cases of mammary carcinomas with metastases in inguinal and/or axillary lymph nodes from female dogs of different breeds and a total of 139 metastatic lymph nodes were evaluated by routine histological staining. Clinical and pathological characteristics of primary tumors as well as the presence of extracapsular extension and tumor implants in the lymph nodes were analyzed, in addition to survival. One to 5 lymph nodes were evaluated in each case. Extracapsular extension and tumor implants were present in 17.9% and 39.3% of cases, respectively. The simultaneous presence of extracapsular extension and tumor implants were associated with an increased risk of death (hazard ratio 10.46). In addition, "special type carcinomas", high histological grade (grade III), and presence of extracapsular extension associated with tumor implants were related to a worse prognosis and shorter survival times (p < 0.05). Based on these results, we highlight the importance of identifying extracapsular extension and tumor implants in dogs with metastatic mammary carcinomas, as they are associated with a higher risk of death and shorter survival.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34265511/