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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Does removing lymph nodes help dogs with stage II skin mast cell

By Marconato, Laura et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2018·Centro Oncologico Veterinario, Italy·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Therapeutic impact of regional lymphadenectomy in canine stage II cutaneous mast cell tumours.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A group of dogs with stage II skin tumors called mast cell tumors (MCTs) were studied to see if removing nearby lymph nodes (lymphadenectomy) would help improve their chances of recovery. The dogs were divided into two groups: one had the lymph nodes removed, while the other had only a sample taken for testing. The results showed that dogs who had the lymph nodes removed had a significantly lower risk of the cancer coming back and a better chance of survival compared to those who only had a sample taken. This suggests that lymphadenectomy could be beneficial for dogs with this type of cancer.

People also search for: dog mast cell tumor treatment · canine lymph node removal · stage II skin cancer in dogs

Abstract

Lymph node (LN) metastasis in canine cutaneous mast cell tumours (cMCTs) is a well-known negative prognostic factor. The role of lymphadenectomy in the treatment of stage II disease remains controversial because of its uncertain therapeutic benefit. Aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the impact of lymphadenectomy on tumour control and survival for dogs with stage II cMCTs. Dogs with firstly occurring, histologically confirmed cMCT with LN metastasis undergoing resection of the primary tumour and medical treatment thereafter were retrospectively enrolled. Dogs were classified into two groups: LN sampling (LNS; diagnosis of metastasis obtained by cytology) and regional LN dissection (LND; diagnosis obtained by histopathology). To determine the therapeutic value of lymphadenectomy, the characteristics of recurrence (local, nodal and distant) and survival were compared between groups. Evaluated outcome variables included signalment, anatomic location, diameter, ulceration, substage, surgical margins, Patnaik grading, Kiupel grading and medical treatment. Overall, 152 dogs were included: 81 underwent LND as part of primary surgery and 71 LNS. The median follow-up time was 409 days for LND group and 620 days for LNS group. On univariable analysis, the risk of developing local, nodal or distant relapse was significantly higher in the LNS group compared with LND (P < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, the risk of tumour progression and tumour-related death were 5.47 and 3.61 times higher in the LNS group, respectively (P < 0.001). Regional lymphadenectomy may have therapeutic value and improve prognosis in dogs with stage II cMCTs undergoing surgical removal of the primary tumour and medical treatment.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30047226/