Canine soft tissue sarcomas are a locally invasive subcutaneous neoplasm in dogs. We have observed from many of our referred soft tissue sarcoma cases, the diagnosis is most commonly determined from histopathology following marginal tumor excision. Given the invasive nature of this tumor type, margins are often incomplete, which prompts referral.
You may find it surprising, but canine soft tissue sarcomas can frequently be diagnosed from fine-needle aspirates and cytologic assessments.
For step-by-step instructions for preparing your cytology slides, see Two Ways to Prepare Your Cytology Slide.
A pre-surgical cytologic diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma can help better prepare for treatment(s). For example, having a cytologic diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma, a surgeon will recognize that surgical margins need to be wider (to try to remove all local disease) than would be needed for removal of a lipoma or a different type of cancer.
The oncology team at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital is actively recruiting dogs with measurable disease for two soft tissue sarcoma trials (Table 1). It is important to consider referral for trials before surgical treatment.
| Investigational therapy | Objective | Incentive |
|---|---|---|
| Metronomic dosing of chlorambucil | Evaluate the effect on regulatory T cells and tumor vasculature | $1000 |
| Novel intra-tumoral therapy | Evaluate biodistribution of alhydrogel (vehicle agent) when injected by different methods | $2500 |
Table 1. Active trials for canine soft tissue sarcomas
Soft tissue sarcomas are being used as a model tumor in these trials; however, our findings are expected to be broadly applicable, meaning they may eventually inform treatment of other cancer types.
Patient enrollment includes a financial incentive applied to costs of other treatment(s) or monitoring.
Other active or soon-to-be launched clinical trials in the oncology service are listed below.
Stereotactic radiotherapy for canine soft tissue sarcomas
Checkpoint blockade (Gilvetmab) +/- IDO1 inhibition for canine urothelial carcinoma of the bladder
Intratumoral cytokine therapy (IL-12 +/- IL-2) for canine oral malignant melanoma
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR T) cell therapy for metastatic canine hemangiosarcoma or osteosarcoma
Radiotherapy + checkpoint blockade (Gilvetmab) for pulmonary metastatic cancers
Radiotherapy + CpG ODN (immune cell stimulant) + amputation for canine appendicular osteosarcoma
Palliative radiotherapy for canine appendicular osteosarcoma
Novel intravenous therapy for canine lymphoma
Oral therapies for canine metastatic
For more information on any of these, please contact Rebecca Kamerer by email at rmoss81@illinois.edu or by calling 217-300-6453. See also the Clinical Trials webpage.
(Newswise/RB)