Inside the Tumor: Decoding the Feline Mammary Tumor Microenvironment and Its Prognostic Value-A Review

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Veterinary Medicine
• Cancer Biology

Background:

• The tumor microenvironment (TME) is critical in cancer progression and treatment response.
• Research on the TME in feline mammary tumors (FMTs) is limited compared to human oncology.
• Feline mammary carcinomas (FMCs) are aggressive tumors with poorly understood microenvironmental factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current understanding of the FMC tumor microenvironment.
• To explore the prognostic implications of TME components in FMCs.
• To draw parallels between FMC and human breast cancer (HBC) TME for potential therapeutic insights.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on TME components in FMCs.
• Analysis of prognostic factors including tumor necrosis, fibrosis, angiogenesis, inflammation, extracellular vesicles, and EMT.
• Comparison of findings with existing human breast cancer (HBC) research.

Main Results:

• Collagen remodeling, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), regulatory T cells (Tregs), and elevated leptin are linked to poor FMC prognosis.
• Stromal cytotoxic T cells correlate with better outcomes in FMCs.
• Data on necrosis and pro-angiogenic factors are inconsistent; extracellular vesicle research is nascent.

Conclusions:

• Specific TME components have significant prognostic value in FMCs.
• Understanding FMC TME can improve prognostic accuracy and identify therapeutic targets.
• FMCs serve as a valuable spontaneous model for human breast cancer (HBC), especially triple-negative subtypes.