Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Canine ear mast cell tumors and lymph node spread patterns
By Chalfon, Carmit et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2023·Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Patterns of nodal metastases, biological behaviour and prognosis of canine mast cell tumours of the pinna: A multi-institutional retrospective study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with mast cell tumors on their ears were studied to understand how aggressive these tumors can be and how they affect the lymph nodes. Out of 39 dogs, nearly half had high-grade tumors, which are more likely to spread to lymph nodes. The superficial cervical lymph node was commonly involved in these cases. Dogs with high-grade tumors had a shorter time before their condition worsened and a higher risk of dying from the disease compared to those with low-grade tumors. However, with a combination of treatments, some dogs had a better chance of a longer life.
People also search for: dog ear tumor treatment · mast cell tumor prognosis in dogs · canine lymph node metastasis symptoms
Abstract
Canine cutaneous mast cell tumours (cMCTs) of the pinna have been associated with an aggressive biological behaviour, although data remain scarce. The knowledge acquired over the past years on histologic gradings, and the value of lymph node (LN) staging, may help in better characterizing this anatomical presentation. The first aim was to describe the frequency, location, and histologic appearance of LN metastases in cMCT of the pinna. A second aim was to evaluate prognosis. Medical records of dogs with cMCT of the pinna, that underwent tumour and sentinel (SLN) or regional LN (RLN) excision, were reviewed. The influence of potential prognostic variables on time to progression (TTP) and tumour-specific survival (TSS) was investigated. Thirty-nine dogs were included: 19 (48.7%) had Kiupel high-grade (K-HG) and 20 (51.3%) had low-grade (K-LG) MCTs. Eighteen (46.1%) dogs underwent SLN mapping: the superficial cervical LN was at least one of SLN in 17 (94.4%) cases. Twenty-two (56.4%) dogs had LN metastases; the superficial cervical LN was always involved. On multivariable analysis, only K-HG was associated with increased risk of progression (p = .043) and tumour-related death (p = .021). Median TTP and TSS were 270 and 370 days in K-HG, respectively; these were not reached in dogs with K-LG tumours (p < .01). cMCTs of the pinna are often K-HG and are also associated with a higher frequency of LN metastasis; however, we confirmed the independent prognostic value of histologic grading. A multimodal treatment may lead to favourable long-term outcome. Moreover, the superficial cervical LN is most often the SLN.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36907653/