From: "Gemt af Windows Internet Explorer 7" Subject: Clinical Experience on Tumors of the Bernese Mountain Dog Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 08:31:22 +0200 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.bernergarde.org/Articles/DrPaoloBuracco_Oct2006.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.0.6000.16545 Clinical Experience on Tumors of the Bernese Mountain = Dog

Clinical Experience=20 on Tumors of the Bernese Mountain Dog

 

Prof. Paolo Buracco

Professor = of Clinica=20 Chirurgica Veterinaria e Chirurgia of the University of Torino = Grugliasco dept.=20 Veterinary and Surgery.=20

From September = 1987 =96=20 December 1988 he was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the School of = Veterinary=20 Medicine (Purdue University, Indiana) with a grant from the Italian = Association=20 of Cancer Research where he developed his clinical activity based on = diagnosis=20 and therapy of feline and canine spontaneous tumors.

Prof. = Buracco=20 focused his presentation on the most frequent tumors of the Bernese = Mountain=20 Dog. If it is true that BMDs may be affected by all types of tumors, it = is also=20 true that in this breed there is a clear prevalence of the histiocytic = disorders=20 (over 70% in the author=92s experience) . Also, it is his impression = that at the=20 Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Grugliasco, BMDs are presented for a = clinical=20 examination almost exclusively because of orthopedic or oncological = disorders.=20 BMDs consist of less than 2% of all dogs examined.

Non = histiocytic=20 neoplasms that may affect BMDs include round cell tumors (mostly = lymphoma=20 and mast cell tumors), primary bone tumors (osteosarcoma), various soft = tissue=20 sarcomas and malignant epithelial tumors (mostly = oral).

Histiocytic=20 disorters are histologically not well defined. The cell of origin is = the=20 histiocyta, that belongs to the myeloid and Langerhans/dentritic = cellular=20 lineages. Immunohistochemistry is essential to recognize it. =

Clinical=20 syndromes associated with a histiocytic proliferation that are more = frequently=20 observed in BMSs are:

Systemic histiocytosis =96 seen in = BMDs,=20 Goldens, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and Saint Bernards. It could be a = benign=20 version of malignant histiocytosis. The disease involves skin (flank, = muzzle,=20 nasal plane, eyelids and scrotum), peripheral lymph nodes and less = frequently=20 episclera and conjunctiva. Microscopic extension to internal organs is = possible.=20 Affected Berners are usually middle age or younger, with only a slight=20 predilection of males. The course of the disease is chronic, with a = periodical=20 worsening of the lesions. Survival is often more than 18 months and = euthanasia=20 is chosen by the owner because of the progressive = debilitation.

 

Localized histiocytic = sarcoma =96 a localized form of the disease seen = more often=20 in distal parts of the limbs. Amputation may be an option, but accurate = staging=20 has to be performed before proceeding. It may evolve to malignant = histiocytosis=20


Malignant histiocytosis =96 = seen in BMDs,=20 Goldens, Rotties, and GSDs

=B7       =20 Rapidly progressive = with=20 systemic metastasis

=B7       =20 Median age is 6 = years

=B7       =20 Both sexes equally at=20 risk

=B7       =20 Polygenic = inheritance

=B7       =20 Dyspenea, = neuro

=B7       =20 Anemia

=B7       =20 Disseminated =96 = lungs, lympho,=20 liver, spleen

=B7       =20 Bone involvement & = pleural=20 effusion less frequent

=B7       =20 Diagnosis:

o       =20 Abdominal = ultrasound

o       =20 Chest x-ray

o       =20 Skeletal = x-ray

o       =20 Biopsy =96 to rule out = lymphoma,=20 lung carcinoma, plasmacytoma, myeloma

o       =20 Bone marrow and = CSF

o       =20 Hyperferritemia

o       =20 Altered = coagulation

=B7       =20 Clinical = Course:

o       =20 Rapid and = fatal

o       =20 Poor response to chemo = =96 doxil,=20 liposomal doxil =96 results better with doxil & liposome

o       =20 Doxi = rubichina

o       =20 TALL-104 - not thought = to be a=20 trial of MH, dog thought to have had SH

 

Other tumors = frequently=20 observed in BMD are:

Osteosarcoma

 

Osteosarcoma Treatment:

 

1.     = amputation =96 needs to be orthopedically = normal, has=20 to be able to stand without the limb

2.     = limb sparing =96 he wouldn=92t do it on = his own dog, he=20 prefers amputation. This may be done in several ways using bone coming = from a=20 bone bank, using the same bone after killing the tumor cells, a metallic = prosthesis or using a technique of bone regeneration (Ilizarov) =


Expected=20 outcome:
With amputation or limb sparing
With chemo, 20 =96 23% of = the dogs=20 will survive to 2 years
Without chemo, the prognosis is 3 =96 4 = months
He=20 does not recommend amputation or limb sparing if chemo is not going to = be=20 used.




Other = tumors are soft=20 tissue sarcomas whose prognosis depends on localization (possibility to = remove=20 completely the tumor). Usually these tumors are characterized by a low=20 metastatic rate but malignancy is mostly local (infiltration): this = requires=20 that the tumor is removed with at least 2-3 cm of tissue around the = tumor to=20 assure a long survival.

Mast Cell Tumors

  • all breeds, mainly seen in the = Boxer=20
  • 9 years is the median age=20
  • Histological grading in I, II, or III = grade (III=20 is more malignant)=20
  • Associated with gastric ulcers, = hypotension,=20 coagulation abnormalities, wound dehiscence=20
  • Survival depends on grade and clinical = staging=20
  • Treatment

o      =20 25% resist = treatment

o      =20 Surgery must be = performed=20 respecting the principle of 3cm margins

o      =20 Chemo is not curative = but may=20 prolong survival in unoperable cases or in case of recurrence =

o      =20 Radiotherapy =96 if = the margins=20 are infiltrated

 

Lymphoma

  • Survival is depending on clinical stage = (I to V)=20 and immunotype (B, T, nonB-nonT).
  • B -Cell responds better to chemo=20