A comparison of risk factors for metastasis at diagnosis in humans and dogs with osteosarcoma

Canine osteosarcoma (OS) is a relevant spontaneous model for human OS. Identifying similarities in clinical characteristics associated with metastasis at diagnosis in both species may substantiate research aimed at using canine OS as a model for identifying mechanisms driving distant spread in the human disease.

This retrospective study included dog OS cases from three academic veterinary hospitals and human OS cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. Associations between clinical factors and metastasis at diagnosis were estimated using logistic regression models.

In humans, those with trunk tumors had higher odds of metastasis at diagnosis compared to those with lower limb tumors (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.51, 3.69). A similar observation was seen in dogs with trunk tumors compared to dogs with forelimb tumors (OR = 3.28, 95% CI 1.36, 7.50). Other associations were observed in humans but not in dogs. Humans aged 20-29 years had lower odds of metastasis at diagnosis compared to those aged 10-14 years (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.96); every 1-cm increase in tumor size was associated with a 6% increase in the odds of metastasis at diagnosis (95% CI: 1.04, 1.08); compared to those with a white, non-Hispanic race, higher odds were observed among those with a black, non-Hispanic race (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.16), and those with a Hispanic origin (OR 1.35, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.81).

A common mechanism may be driving trunk tumors to progress to detectable metastasis prior to diagnosis in both species.