Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgical margins in the veterinary cancer patient.
- Journal:
- Veterinary and comparative oncology
- Year:
- 2017
- Authors:
- Milovancev, M & Russell, D S
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences · United States
Plain-English summary
When a pet has cancer and undergoes surgery to remove a tumor, the pathologist examines the tissue to see if any cancer cells are left behind. This examination is crucial because it helps the veterinarian decide if more treatment, like chemotherapy, is needed. The article discusses how important it is to have clear margins, meaning no cancer cells are found at the edges of the removed tissue, and it also looks at different ways to assess this. Understanding how tumors behave can help improve how we evaluate surgical success and guide future research. Overall, the findings highlight the need for ongoing studies to better understand surgical margins in pets with cancer.
Abstract
In veterinary oncologic specimens, histopathology is the gold standard for determining adequacy of excision. Despite limitations of this technique, the pathologist's interpretation of margin status significantly impacts patient management, including indications for adjuvant therapy. This article aims to summarize peer-reviewed literature as it relates to histologic margin evaluation in veterinary cancer patients. The value of histologic tumour-free margins and technical factors influencing histopathologic margin outcomes are also discussed. We review alternative strategies for determining excisional status, and discuss how an evolving understanding of tumour biology might inform clinical and research perspectives on surgical margins. In doing so, we aim to provide context and a stimulus for future investigations into this important yet incompletely understood topic.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28194921/