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Fibroblastic Subtype has a Favourable Prognosis in Appendicular Osteosarcoma of Dogs
A A Al-Khan1, J S Nimmo2, M J Day3
1School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, United Kingdom.
Journal of Comparative Pathology
|May 4, 2020
Summary
Canine osteosarcoma (OS) subtypes significantly impact prognosis. Fibroblastic OS in dogs shows a better survival rate compared to osteoblastic or chondroblastic forms, suggesting subtype-based risk assessment for this bone cancer.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Oncology
- Surgical Pathology
- Canine Bone Neoplasms
Background:
- Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive bone cancer primarily affecting the appendicular skeleton in dogs and humans.
- Histological classification of OS includes osteoblastic, chondroblastic, and fibroblastic subtypes based on matrix formation.
- Understanding subtype-specific behavior is crucial for accurate prognosis and treatment strategies in canine osteosarcoma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between histological subtypes of canine appendicular osteosarcoma and clinical outcome.
- To determine if immunolabelling of desmin, S100, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) differs among canine OS subtypes.
- To evaluate the prognostic significance of appendicular OS histological subtypes in dogs.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 87 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from dogs with primary appendicular osteosarcoma.
- Correlation of survival times with histological subtypes (osteoblastic, chondroblastic, fibroblastic) in surgically treated dogs receiving adjuvant chemotherapy without pulmonary metastasis.
- Immunohistochemical analysis for desmin, S100, and NSE localization across subtypes.
Main Results:
- Appendicular fibroblastic OS exhibited significantly longer mean survival times (546 days) compared to osteoblastic (257 days) and chondroblastic (170 days) subtypes (P=0.003).
- The chondroblastic subtype was a significant indicator of poor prognosis (P=0.006), while fibroblastic OS correlated with a better prognosis.
- No significant correlation was found between the localization of desmin, NSE, or S100 and the histological subtypes.
Conclusions:
- Histological subtypes of appendicular osteosarcoma in dogs demonstrate distinct clinical behaviors and prognostic implications.
- The fibroblastic subtype of canine osteosarcoma is associated with a significantly better prognosis than osteoblastic or chondroblastic subtypes.
- Histological subtyping of canine appendicular OS can aid in risk-based patient categorization and potentially guide treatment decisions.
