Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Secretory breast cancer in a 3-year-old female German Shepherd dog
By Cassali, G D et al.Ā·Published in Veterinary pathologyĀ·1999Ā·Department of General Pathology-ICB/UFMGĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Secretory carcinoma of the canine mammary gland.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old female German Shepherd was diagnosed with a rare type of breast cancer called secretory carcinoma after a vet examined a lump in her left inguinal mammary gland. Tests showed abnormal cells with clear cytoplasm and vacuoles, which are characteristic of this cancer. The vet used fine-needle aspiration to collect samples and confirmed the diagnosis through various tests. Treatment options for this type of cancer can vary, so it's important to discuss the best approach with your veterinarian.
People also search for: dog breast cancer symptoms Ā· German Shepherd mammary tumor treatment Ā· secretory carcinoma in dogs
Abstract
Secretory carcinoma is an uncommon variant of breast cancer, characterized by the presence of intracellular and extracellular eosinophilic secretion. Here, we report the cytologic, histologic, and immunohistochemical findings of a secretory carcinoma diagnosed in the left inguinal mammary gland of a 3-year-old female German Shepherd Dog. The fine-needle aspiration cytology showed numerous large branching sheets of neoplastic cells and isolated cells with cytoplasmic vacuoles. Histologically, the tumor was composed of cells with clear cytoplasm and prominent vacuoles that pushed the nuclei to the periphery, resembling signet ring cells. These cells were arranged in solid or tubular structures with lumenal spaces filled with eosinophilic secretion. Immunohistochemical reactions to cytokeratin (CAM 5.2) and alpha-lactalbumin were strongly positive in all neoplastic cells, and staining for vimentin and S100 protein was negative. The cytomorphologic and immunohistochemical features of this tumor are similar to those seen in tumors in women, hence enabling the diagnosis of a rare case of primary secretory carcinoma of the canine mammary gland.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10568441/