Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How to tell if a dog skin or under-skin mast cell tumor is aggressive
By Sabattini, Silvia et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2024·University of Bologna, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The 2-tier grading system identifies canine cutaneous and/or subcutaneous mast cell tumors with aggressive biological behavior regardless of growth model.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old Golden Retriever was diagnosed with a mast cell tumor, a type of skin tumor that can be aggressive. The tumor was surgically removed, and the veterinarian used a special grading system to assess its behavior and potential for spreading. The results showed that even tumors that typically seem less aggressive could have a poor prognosis, highlighting the importance of careful evaluation. After surgery, the dog was monitored closely, and the findings helped guide further treatment options to improve the chances of recovery.
People also search for: dog mast cell tumor treatment · Golden Retriever skin tumor prognosis · aggressive mast cell tumors in dogs
Abstract
Histologic grading of canine cutaneous mast cell tumors (cMCTs) has prognostic and therapeutic implications, yet validation for subcutaneous MCTs (scMCTs) is lacking. For scMCTs with or without dermal invasion, determining their biological behavior remains poorly standardized and sometimes sparks controversy. This prospective study aimed to assess the prognostic utility of the 2-tier histologic grading system in MCTs with different growth models (GMs) and explore the prognostic impact of the GM itself. We assessed 6 histologic GM categories: solely cMCT (C-SC), cMCT with superficial (C-SC) or deep subcutaneous (C-SC) involvement, solely scMCT (SC-C), and scMCT with deep (SC-C) or superficial (SC-C) infiltration of the dermis. Ninety-one MCTs from 76 dogs undergoing excision and regional/sentinel lymphadenectomy were examined. GM classification identified 11 (12%) C-SCtumors, 12 (13%) C-SC, 15 (16%) C-SC, 21 (23%) SC-C, 15 (16%) SC-C, and 17 (19%) SC-C. Mitotic count, 2-tier grade, nodal involvement, surgical margins, and outcome were stratified according to GM. scMCTs lacking dermal invasion, historically associated with a benign clinical course, had a poor prognosis in 10% of cases. cMCTs exhibiting deep subcutaneous involvement included the largest percentage of high-grade tumors (33%), had the highest occurrence of overt nodal metastases (33%), and had the lowest 1-year survival rate (86%). Histologic grade was confirmed as a relevant prognostic factor, surpassing nodal involvement and histologic margin status. The 2-tier histologic grading enabled the identification of all MCTs with aggressive biological behavior, regardless of their cutaneous or subcutaneous location.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38577816/