Prognostic value of regional lymph node status in canine mammary carcinomas

• Published in: Veterinary & comparative oncology Vol. 9; no. 4; pp. 296 - 303
• Main Authors: Szczubiał, M, Łopuszynski, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2011
• Subjects: Animals; bitches; Disease-Free Survival; dog; Dog Diseases - pathology; Dog Diseases - surgery; Dogs; Female; Follow-Up Studies; immunohistochemistry; Immunohistochemistry - veterinary; lymph nodes; Lymphatic Metastasis - diagnosis; mammary glands; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal - pathology; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal - surgery; mammary tumours; metastasis; micrometastases; Prognosis; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy - veterinary; surgery
• ISSN: 1476-5810; 1476-5829
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5829.2011.00268.x

In this study, we have determined the prognostic value of the presence of the micrometastases and metastases greater than 2 mm in the regional lymph nodes for bitches with mammary carcinomas. The study involved 51 dogs diagnosed with a single malignant epithelial tumour in the 4th or 5th mammary gland. All animals underwent regional mastectomy; the 4th and 5th mammary glands were removed together with the inguinal lymph node. The lymph nodes were examined immunohistochemically using the anti‐cytokeratin antibody, clone AE1/AE3. The bitches were followed up every 6 months for 2 years after surgery to determine the disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The Kaplan–Meier analysis showed a statistically significant difference in DFS and OS only between the group of bitches without metastases and the group with lymph node metastases greater than 2 mm. No significant differences between these two groups versus bitches with lymph node micrometastases were found.