Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How alkaline phosphatase and runx2 help diagnose bone cancer in dogs
By Barger, Anne et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2022·University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The use of alkaline phosphatase and runx2 to distinguish osteosarcoma from other common malignant primary bone tumors in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with primary bone tumors was tested to see if certain markers could help identify osteosarcoma, the most common and aggressive type of bone cancer. Researchers looked at four markers, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and runx2, to see how well they could differentiate osteosarcoma from other tumors. They found that ALP was very effective at detecting osteosarcoma, while runx2 was good at confirming the diagnosis. Using both markers together improved the accuracy of identifying this serious condition, which can help vets provide better treatment options for affected dogs.
People also search for: dog bone cancer symptoms · osteosarcoma treatment for dogs · how to diagnose dog tumors
Abstract
In dogs, primary bone tumors can be difficult to distinguish with histopathology. Of those tumors, osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common and aggressive. In this study, 4 immunohistochemistry markers-alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteonectin (ON), osteopontin (OP), and runx2-were evaluated for their ability to distinguish OSA from other primary bone tumors. The 42 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, primary canine bone tumors included 15 OSAs, 8 chondrosarcomas, 11 fibrosarcomas, and 8 histiocytic sarcomas. All 4 antibodies were highly sensitive for detection of osteosarcoma. ALP was the most sensitive at 100% and runx2 the most specific at 78%. Running ALP and runx2 in series resulted in a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 85%. This combination of immunomarkers resulted in a diagnostic panel for distinguishing osteosarcoma from other primary bone tumors.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35253545/