Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
What affects recovery from subcutaneous mast cell tumors in dogs
By Cherzan, Nathan L et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2023·Veterinary Specialty Hospital Sorrento Valley, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Factors affecting prognosis in canine subcutaneous mast cell tumors: 45 cases.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 45 dogs with subcutaneous mast cell tumors (a type of skin tumor) was studied to understand how these tumors affect their health and survival. Some dogs experienced local recurrence or developed metastasis (spread to lymph nodes), which significantly shortened their survival time. For instance, dogs with lymph node metastasis had a median survival of about 551 days, while those without it lived much longer, averaging 1722 days. The findings suggest that these tumors can be more aggressive than previously thought, especially if they invade nearby tissues or spread to lymph nodes.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcome of subcutaneous mast cell tumors (SQMCT) and to identify clinical and histological characteristics of more aggressive disease. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: Forty-five dogs with 48 SQMCTs. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed (2011-2021) for patient information, clinical, and histopathological data including multinucleation, necrosis, invasion into local muscle, an infiltrative growth pattern, tumor grade (if listed), mitotic index, and surgical margins. The presence of local recurrence, lymph node metastasis, survival time, and other parameters evaluating patient outcome were also recorded. RESULTS: Local recurrence occurred in 17.8% (8/45) of dogs, 11.1% (5/45) developed metastatic recurrence, and 26.7% (12/45) developed lymph node metastasis. Dogs with lymph node metastases had a median disease-free interval (DFI) of 194 days (18-1864), while median DFI was not reached for dogs without lymph node metastasis (p = .0012). Median survival time for dogs with lymph node metastasis was 551 days (110-2050) compared to 1722 days (10-1722) without metastasis (p = .0432). Local recurrence resulted in a significantly shorter median survival time of 551 days (80-2050) compared to 1722 days (10-1722) for dogs without local recurrence (p = .0038). Dogs with infiltrative tumors had a median DFI of 268 days (3-1722) and DFI for dogs without an infiltrative pattern had not reached median at 1864 days (10-1864) (p = .011). CONCLUSION: Lymph node metastasis decreased disease-free interval and survival. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Subcutaneous mast cell tumors may be a more aggressive disease than previously reported.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36788161/