• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.299-303
• /
• 2017

An 11-year-old neutered male Maltese presented for radiation therapy for nasal transitional cell carcinoma. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) was provided for the owner's request. Clinical signs improved 6 days after radiation therapy. Adverse effects including alopecia and pigmentation on the facial region were observed at 21 days after radiation therapy. The first follow-up computed tomography (CT) 96 days after SBRT revealed that the nasal tumor had decreased by 60.63% compared with the pre-treatment volume. Clinical signs related with the tumor reassigned 151 days after SBRT, and the second follow-up CT revealed tumor relapse. The patient was died 238 days after SBRT due to tumor relapse. SBRT showed a good tumor control effect with relatively mild radiation toxicity relative to other radiation therapy modalities, in accordance with a previous study. Further studies are needed to establish an effective treatment protocol, such as total dose, fractional dose, and inter-fractional period, in canine malignant nasal tumors.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.70.1-70.7
• /
• 2020

Background: Oral neoplasia has been reported to account for 6-7% of all canine cancer and 3% of all feline cancers. To the authors' knowledge the last epidemiologic analysis of general oral cancer in dogs and cats was published in 1976. Objectives: The goal of this study was to report contemporary demographic information regarding oral tumors in dogs and cats. Methods: Information was collected from cats or dogs diagnosed with oral neoplasia from the Veterinary Medical Data Base. Medical records representing cases that presented to one of 26 veterinary teaching hospitals from January 1, 1996 through December 31, 2017 were included. Results: A total of 1,810 dogs and 443 cats were identified. A total of 962 cases (53.6%) of canine oral tumors were classified as malignant and 455 cases as benign (25.4%). The majority of feline oral tumors were classified as malignant (257 cases, 58.1%) and only a few benign (11 cases, 2.5%). The incidence of oral tumors was calculated to be 4.9 per 1,000 dogs (0.5%) and 4.9 per 1,000 cats (0.5%). Conclusions: This incidence of oral tumors is considerably higher than previously reported in both dogs and cats. These results provide valuable information for generation of hypotheses for future investigations of breed-based and pathology-based oral neoplastic studies.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.434-441
• /
• 2024

Mammary gland tumors are the most common tumors detected in non-spayed female dogs and pose a significant clinical challenge. Due to the strong similarity between canine mammary tumors (CMT) and human breast cancer (HBC), biomarkers identified in HBC can also be detected in CMT. These biomarkers have been shown to offer valuable insights into early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment strategies. The purpose of this article is to provide a concise overview of CMT biomarkers based on the current literature. Traditional treatments for CMT in dogs typically begin with surgery, followed by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or hormonal therapy. However, these treatments alone are not always fully effective. A diagnostic biomarker can detect the presence of a disease or the characteristics of a disease and classify an individual's status. Prognostic biomarkers focus on predicting the expected progression, recurrence, or survival of the disease in patients. By utilizing advances in understanding the mechanism of canine-specific mammary gland tumors, the estimation of biomarkers offers hope for improved outcomes in cancer patients. Novel technologies, such as single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, could provide a valuable resource for deciphering intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneity. This review paper explores current research on CMT biomarkers and suggests directions for their development.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.16.1-16.10
• /
• 2020

Cancer is a major cause of death in dogs worldwide, and the incidence of cancer in dogs is increasing. The attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (ATR-FTIR) technique is a powerful tool for the diagnosis of several diseases. This method enables samples to be examined directly without pre-preparation. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic value of ATR-FTIR for the detection of cancer in dogs. Cancer-bearing dogs (n = 30) diagnosed by pathologists and clinically healthy dogs (n = 40) were enrolled in this study. Peripheral blood was collected for clinicopathological diagnosis. ATR-FTIR spectra were acquired, and principal component analysis was performed on the full wave number spectra (4,000-650 cm^-1). The leave-one-out cross validation technique and partial least squares regression analysis were used to predict normal and cancer spectra. Red blood cell counts, hemoglobin levels and white blood cell counts were significantly lower in cancer-bearing dogs than in clinically healthy dogs (p < 0.01, p < 0.01 and p = 0.03, respectively). ATR-FTIR spectra showed significant differences between the clinically healthy and cancer-bearing groups. This finding demonstrates that ATR-FTIR can be applied as a screening technique to distinguish between cancer-bearing dogs and healthy dogs.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.58 no.4
• /
• pp.201-209
• /
• 2018

Canine mammary tumors are among the most frequently observed cutaneous tumors in female dogs. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), referred to as tumor-initiating cells, are thought to have properties similar to normal stem cells such as the ability to self-renewal and to differentiate into various cell types. Biological understanding of CSCs and the critical pathways involved in their maintenance are important in research and therapy for mammary tumors. We conducted the present study on sphere formation from REM134 cells by using methylcellulose to produce tumorspheres on a large scale and compared the specific markers of the spheres-formed and plating-cultured REM134 cells. The results revealed that the tumorspheres cultured in methylcellulose had higher seeding density and improved morphology compared to those produced in normal sphere formation medium. Expression levels of stemness markers and CSC-related markers were higher in tumorsphere-forming cells than in plating-cultured cells. Subsequently, we transplanted the tumorsphere-forming and plating-cultured cells into female nude mice to examine their tumorigenic potential. Tumor volume increased rapidly in mice transplanted with tumorsphere-derived cells compared to plating-cultured cells. We observed a novel sphere-forming condition for REM134 cells and showed that REM134 cell tumorspheres can exhibit improved CSC properties.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.16-22
• /
• 2022

A 12-year-old spayed female beagle dog was presented with pollakiuria and stranguria. Abdominal ultrasonography identified irregular a marginated, hyperechoic mass in the urethra and trigon area of the bladder. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a heterogeneous mass in the trigone area leading to a urethra. There was no evidence of regional or distant metastasis. Cytologic analysis suspected transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). The patient was treated with piroxicam, mitoxantrone, and once weekly fractionated radiation therapy (RT) with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). A follow-up CT scan at 6 months after RT revealed a reduction in tumor size. At 17 months after the start of RT, the patient became severely anorectic and lethargic. Ultrasound examination revealed a hyperechoic mass in the apex area of bladder while the trigone area of the bladder and urethra appeared normal. Multiple hypoechoic nodules of various sizes were found in the liver and spleen. The patient was humanely euthanized at the request of the owner. A combination of piroxicam, mitoxantrone, and hypofractionated RT with VMAT protocol was well tolerated. This case described tumor response and survival time of a canine TCC treated with piroxicam, mitoxantrone, and once weekly palliative RT using computer-assisted planning and VMAT.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.271-278
• /
• 2007

Several recent studies demonstrated the potential of bioengineering using stem cells in regenerative medicine. Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the pluripotency to differentiate into cells of mesodermal origin, i.e., bone, cartilage, adipose, and muscle cells; they, therefore, have many potential clinical applications. On the other hand, stem cells possess a self-renewal capability similar to cancer cells. For safety evaluation of MSCs, in this study, we tested tumorigenecity of canine adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (cAD-MSCs) using Balb/c-nu mice. In this study, there were no changes in mortality, clinical signs, body weights and biochemical parameters of all animals treated. In addition, there were no significant changes between control and treated groups in autopsy findings. These results indicate that cAD-MSC has no tumorigenic potential under the condition in this study.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.179-183
• /
• 2021

A 12-year-old male American Cocker Spaniel was diagnosed with a type of chronic hepatits (CH) called cholangioheaptits. Routine supportive medication was administered to the patient, and ex vivo boosted immune cell (EBI-C) therapy was used for the treatment. A histopathologic examination of the liver 19 months later revealed that the cholangiohepatitis had progressed to cholangiocarcinoma. The medication and immune cell therapy was maintained. Two months after the new diagnosis, the patient's state worsened, and the dog died 635 days after the first visit. EBI-C therapy is a type of immunotherapy, where immune cells are isolated from the patient's peripheral blood mononuclear cells, expanded ex vivo, and then infused into the patient intravenously every two weeks. EBI-Cs (mean: 2.78 × 10⁸ cells) were obtained 38 times and infused every two weeks. Most EBI-C were T-lymphocytes (99.24% of total EBI cells). T-lymphocytes produce large interferon (IFN)-γ, and IFN-γ inhibits liver fibrosis in dogs with CH. Moreover, in bile duct cancer, an increase in T-lymphocytes correlates with decreasing tumor invasion and metastasis. Thus, we propose that EBI-C therapy is applicable as a new supportive therapy for canine liver disease if other treatments like drug medication, surgery, or radiation are unavailable.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.232-239
• /
• 2010

Two cell lines derived from spontaneous canine mammary gland tumors were established and characterized. Mammary gland tumors from 9 years old pug and 9 years old toy-poodle dogs were collected by aseptic surgical resection and primary culture was performed. The histopathologic examination of tumors revealed adenocarcinoma and complex carcinoma and two dogs died from metastasis of the tumors. The tumor cells were subcultured over 60 times for more than 1 year and morphological consistency maintained. Light microscopic examination, growth curve, doubling time calculation, xenotransplantation to female nude mice, immunohistochemistry for wide spectrum keratin, vimentin, $\alpha$-smooth muscle actin and cytokeratin 8 was performed for characterization. The cell lines exhibited polygonal, elongated cell shape and cytoplasmic bridge and doubling time of 47.1 hrs and 18.6 hrs, respectively. Subcutaneous xenotransplantation to nude mice of the cells produced localized palpable mass within 4 weeks in 4 of 5 and 5 of 5 nude mice, respectively. In immunohistochemical examination one cell line showed strong positive against wide spectrum keratin and cytokeratin 8 and the other cell line showed strong positive against smooth muscle actin and cytokeratin 8. Additional characterization would be possible by investigator's needs and the cell lines may be useful for in vivo and in vitro studies of canine mammary tumor and adjuvant therapies.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
• /
• 2003.10a
• /
• pp.48-48
• /
• 2003

Mammary cancer is the most common malignant neoplasm in the bitch. It constitute 40 percent of all tumors in female dogs, which is three times higher than incidence of mammary tumors in humans[2]. Cytological differentiation between benign and malignant canine mammary tumors is difficult, however, an irregular chromatin pattern was reported to be a significant criterion for malignancy[1]. It can be estimated that approximately 30 percent of the surgically removed mammary tumors are malignant[4]. Malignant mammary tumors often have some degree of infiltrative/destructive growth into adjacent tissues and/or invasion of vessels. Malignant mammary tumors often metastasize into local lymph nodes and lungs, and less frequently into other organs[3]. Based on histological and cytological criteria, this case was diagnosed as tubulopapillary carcinoma of the mammary gland. (omitted)