Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ultrasound signs that predict bladder cancer outlook in dogs
By Hanazono, Kiwamu et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2014·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ultrasonographic findings related to prognosis in canine transitional cell carcinoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with bladder tumors, specifically transitional cell carcinoma, were examined using ultrasound to see if the images could help predict how long they might live. The study found that certain ultrasound features, like whether the tumor invaded the bladder wall, its shape, and its location, were linked to shorter survival times. For example, tumors that were irregularly shaped and located at the bladder's trigone area were associated with worse outcomes. This suggests that ultrasound can be a useful tool for veterinarians to assess the severity of bladder tumors in dogs and guide treatment decisions.
People also search for: dog bladder cancer prognosis · transitional cell carcinoma ultrasound · dog bladder tumor treatment
Abstract
In human bladder cancer patients, ultrasonography is extensively used not only to identify tumor masses but also to evaluate tumor size, shape, echogenicity, location, and degree of tumor invasion into the bladder wall. The information revealed by ultrasonography delineates the tumor's biological features and facilitates prediction of prognosis. However, in veterinary medicine the feasibility of using ultrasonography for these purposes has not been fully investigated. In this retrospective study, we reviewed cases of dogs with histologically confirmed bladder mass lesions, including transitional cell carcinoma (n = 22) and polypoid cystitis (n = 5), to determine whether ultrasonography could reliably predict bladder wall involvement. By following patients with transitional cell carcinoma until death, we also determined whether ultrasonographic tumor size, shape, echogenicity, and mass location were related to prognosis. Wall involvement as revealed by ultrasound was significantly (P = 0.00005) associated with histological muscular layer involvement with a sensitivity of 93% (95% Confidence interval, 79-98%) and specificity of 92% (95% Confidence interval, 76-98%). Ultrasonographic wall involvement (P = 0.03, vs. noninvolvement), heterogeneous mass (P = 0.02, vs. homogeneous mass), and trigone location (P = 0.01, vs. other locations) characteristics were significantly associated with shorter survival times in transitional cell carcinoma cases. Findings indicated that ultrasonographic characteristics such as wall involvement, heterogeneous mass, and trigone location could be reliable prognostic indicators in canine transitional cell carcinoma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23890180/