Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Thymic epithelial tumors in 51 dogs and their clinicopathologic
By Yale, Andrew D et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2022·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Thymic epithelial tumours in 51 dogs: Histopathologic and clinicopathologic findings.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 51 dogs with thymic epithelial tumors (TET), which are rare tumors in the chest area, were studied to understand their behavior and prognosis. The dogs had various symptoms, and the study found that those who underwent surgical removal of the tumor lived significantly longer, with a median survival time of about 449 days. However, factors like the presence of metastasis (spread of cancer), myasthenia gravis (a muscle weakness condition), and certain tumor characteristics were linked to shorter survival. More research is needed to better guide treatment options for these tumors.
People also search for: dog thymic tumor prognosis · canine cancer survival rates · dog myasthenia gravis treatment
Abstract
Canine thymic epithelial tumours (TET) are uncommon and little is known about their behaviour. Previous attempts at histologic classification have varied, and as such reliable prognostic information is unavailable. The aim of this retrospective multi-institutional study was to evaluate cases of canine TETs, irrespective of subtype, in order to identify useful histopathologic and clinicopathologic prognostic factors. Cases were included if the tumour arose from the cranial mediastinum and a diagnosis of TET was made on the basis of histopathology. Fifty-one dogs were included. In addition to clinicopathologic data, histology samples were reviewed for the following features: mitotic count, percentage of necrosis, presence of Hassall's corpuscles, lymphocytic infiltrate, cellular pleomorphism and vascular or capsular invasion. The median survival time for all dogs was 449 days. The 1- and 2-year survival rate was 52.6% and 26.3% respectively. On multivariable analysis surgical excision of the thymic tumour was associated with significantly prolonged survival; the presence of metastasis, myasthenia gravis and moderate or marked cellular pleomorphism were associated with significantly reduced survival. Additional studies are needed to further evaluate prognostic factors to aid treatment recommendations.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34036722/