Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Soft tissue sarcoma grade predicts recurrence in dogs after surgery
By McSporran, K D·Published in Veterinary pathology·2009·Gribbles Veterinary·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Histologic grade predicts recurrence for marginally excised canine subcutaneous soft tissue sarcomas.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old mixed-breed dog had a subcutaneous soft tissue sarcoma (a type of tumor under the skin) that was only partially removed during surgery. After the surgery, the tumor was graded based on its characteristics, and it was found that the likelihood of the tumor coming back depended on its grade. Dogs with lower-grade tumors had a lower chance of recurrence, while those with higher-grade tumors were more likely to see their tumors return. Importantly, dogs that had their tumors completely removed did not experience any recurrence. This suggests that ensuring clean margins during surgery is crucial for preventing tumor regrowth.
People also search for: dog soft tissue sarcoma treatment · why did my dog's tumor come back · signs of tumor recurrence in dogs
Abstract
Local recurrence of marginally excised subcutaneous soft tissue sarcomas is variable and difficult to predict. This study aimed to identify predictors of local recurrence after excisional biopsy. Medical records of 236 dogs from which tumors had been received between 2004 and 2007 were analyzed. Medium- to large-breed dogs, median age 10 years, were most commonly affected. A total of 139 tumors were graded histologically: 71 were grade 1 (51%); 59, grade 2 (42%); and 9, grade 3 (7%). Of these, 34 tumors (25%) were completely excised, and 104 (75%) were marginally excised. None of 30 completely excised tumors with follow-up information recurred. Three of 41 grade 1 tumors (7%), 14 of 41 grade 2 tumors (34%), and 3 out of 4 grade 3 tumors recurred after marginal excision. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated to evaluate survival and the tumor-free interval. The log-rank test and log-rank test for trend were used for comparisons. Tumor recurrence-free intervals for dogs with grade 1 and 2 tumors and for those with grade 1 and 3 tumors differed significantly (P = .0027 and .0001, respectively) and overall were inversely related to tumor grade (P = .0007). Kaplan-Meier survival curves, regardless of recurrence, for patients with grade 1, 2, or 3 tumors treated by marginal excision did not differ significantly, and none differed from the survival curves of patients treated by complete excision. In conclusion, histologic grade is a strong predictor for recurrence of marginally excised subcutaneous soft tissue sarcomas. Clean margins predict nonrecurrence. Tumor recurrence did not significantly reduce survival time.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19429989/