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Review
. 2024 Mar 1;25(5):2891.
doi: 10.3390/ijms25052891.

Canine Mammary Tumors: Classification, Biomarkers, Traditional and Personalized Therapies

Natalia Nosalova  1 , Mykhailo Huniadi  1 , Ľubica Horňáková  1 , Alexandra Valenčáková  1 , Slavomir Horňák  1 , Kamil Nagoos  1 , Juraj Vozar  1 , Dasa Cizkova  1
Affiliations
Review

Canine Mammary Tumors: Classification, Biomarkers, Traditional and Personalized Therapies

Natalia Nosalova et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

In recent years, many studies have focused their attention on the dog as a proper animal model for human cancer. In dogs, mammary tumors develop spontaneously, involving a complex interplay between tumor cells and the immune system and revealing several molecular and clinical similarities to human breast cancer. In this review, we summarized the major features of canine mammary tumor, risk factors, and the most important biomarkers used for diagnosis and treatment. Traditional therapy of mammary tumors in dogs includes surgery, which is the first choice, followed by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or hormonal therapy. However, these therapeutic strategies may not always be sufficient on their own; advancements in understanding cancer mechanisms and the development of innovative treatments offer hope for improved outcomes for oncologic patients. There is still a growing interest in the use of personalized medicine, which should play an irreplaceable role in the research not only in human cancer therapy, but also in veterinary oncology. Moreover, immunotherapy may represent a novel and promising therapeutic option in canine mammary cancers. The study of novel therapeutic approaches is essential for future research in both human and veterinary oncology.

Keywords: biomarkers; canine mammary tumor; personalized medicine; treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Immunofluorescence staining of primary cultures of canine mammary glands. Representative images of βIII-tubulin (A,B) and MUC-1 (C,D) positive cells (green). Images (A,C) represent primary cultures isolated from CMT that was histologically diagnosed as tubulopapillary carcinoma of mammary gland. Images (B,C) show healthy non-cancerous cells isolated from canine mammary glands. Magnification: 40×.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Risk factors of canine mammary cancer. The original figure was created using Inkscape v1.1.2 software.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Immunofluorescence staining of primary cultures of canine mammary glands. Representative figures of HER-2 (A,B) and Ki67 (C,D) positive cells (green). Images (A,C) are primary cultures isolated from CMT (tubulopapillary histotype) and (B,D) primary cultures isolated from healthy non-cancerous canine mammary glands. (E,F) are a detail of (C,D). Magnification: 40×.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Therapeutic strategy of canine mammary tumor, CMT (red cells = tumor, yellow cells = normal (luminal, basal, stromal) cells of mammary gland). An original figure. Inkscape v1.1.2 software was used to create the figure.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The major omics techniques for data acquisition used in personalized medicine. This original figure was created using the Inkscape v1.1.2 software.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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