Soft Tissue Sarcoma in Dogs: Novel Treatment in the Works

Researchers at Washington State University (WSU) have identified several therapeutic targets, making way for new treatments and accurate diagnosis of deadly Sarcoma in canines.

The researchers at WSU have given hope for the new treatment of this deadly type of tumor in dogs by examining the genetic makeup of three common sub-types of tissue sarcomas, using next-generation sequencing.

According to the researchers, there are several types of sarcomas with identical characteristics, making the diagnosis difficult.

Eric Shelden, a Ph.D. scholar and an associate professor in WSU’s School of Molecular Biosciences has claimed that the findings of the research will pave the way for improved diagnosis and better treatments of sarcoma in the future.

“The different subtypes of soft tissue sarcomas can look so similar even trained pathologists have trouble distinguishing one from another; they are a very diverse group of cancers,” Eric added.

Rance Sellon, Ph.D., DACVIM, a veterinary oncologist at WSU, opines that the practitioners may benefit from working closely with veterinary pathologists to identify tumor subtypes to achieve an accurate diagnosis and identify more effective treatment options.

“From a clinical standpoint, the findings of this study hint that, perhaps, our view of this tumor type should change, and we should be looking to make better distinctions among the various subtypes, ultimately with the goal of better defining treatment and prognosis,” he says.

The report further disclosed that more than 95,000 dogs are diagnosed every year with sarcomas only in the U.S. and above 20 percent die from the disease.

Dr. Sellon says that treatment of sarcoma typically involves surgical removal of the tumor followed by radiation therapy.

“Radiation therapy can be effective to treat residual disease, but, for some dogs, recurrence still can be seen after surgery and radiation therapy,” he says.

Dr. Shelden says that the studies must be continued to further validate the findings and identify medicine that are better suited to treat the different tumors.