Canine mammary tumors (CMTs) are morphologically and biologically heterogeneous, prompting several attempts to classify such tumors on the basis of their histopathological characteristics. Recently, molecular-based analysis methods borrowed from human breast cancer research have also been applied to the classification of CMTs. In this study, canine mammary neoplasms (n ¼ 648) occurring in Korea from 2008 to 2011 were analyzed according to the histological classification and grading system proposed by Goldschmidt et al. Furthermore, randomly selected mammary carcinomas (n ¼ 159) were classified according to the molecular subtype using immunohistochemical characteristics. Canine mammary neoplasia accounted for 52.6% (648/1250) of the tumors in female dogs, and 51.7% (340/648) of these were malignant. All of the carcinoma-anaplastic subtypes were grade III tumors (5/5, 100%), while most of the carcinoma-tubular subtypes (15/18, 83.3%) and carcinoma arising in a complex adenoma/mixed-tumor subtype (115/135, 85.2%) were grade I tumors. Tumor cell invasion into lymphatic vessels was most common in the comedocarcinoma, carcinoma-anaplastic, and inflammatory carcinoma subtypes. The most frequently occurring molecular subtype (70/159, 44%) was luminal A. However, the basal-like subtype was the most malignant and was frequently associated with grade III tumors and lymphatic invasion. The carcinoma-solid subtypes were also often of the basal-like subtype. Reclassification of CMTs using the newly proposed histopathological classification system and molecular subtyping could aid in determining the prognosis and the most suitable anticancer treatment for each case.

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Primary testicular tumors are the most common causes of cancer in male dogs. Overall, the majority of canine patients should be cured by testicular surgery. However, tumor markers are not well-known in veterinary medicine. We sought to determine using immunohistochemistry whether the combined human testicular tumor markers (placental alkaline phosphatase, OCT3/4, CD30, alpha-fetoprotein, inhibin-alpha, vimentin, c-KIT, and desmin) are expressed in canine seminomas and Sertoli cell tumors (SCTs). We examined 35 canine testicular tumors, 20 seminomas and 15 SCTs. c-KIT was expressed markedly in canine seminomas. Both inhibin-alpha and vimentin were expressed significantly in canine SCTs. The results of this study demonstrate differences and similarities between tumor marker expression of testicular tumors in dogs and humans. All the main markers in current routine use are discussed as well as potential useful markers for benign and malignant tumors, and tumor progression.

Obesity can affect the clinical course of a number of diseases, including breast cancer in women and mammary gland tumors in female dogs, via the secretion of various cytokines and hormones. The objective of this study was to examine the expression patterns of obesity-related molecules such as aromatase, leptin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1 R) in canine mammary carcinomas (CMCs) on the basis of the body condition score (BCS). Comparative analyses of the expression of these molecules, together with prognostic factors for CMCs, including hormone receptors (HRs; estrogen and progesterone receptors), lymphatic invasion, central necrosis of the tumor, and histologic grade, were performed on 56 CMCs. The mean age of CMC onset was lower in the overweight or obese group (8.7 + 1.9 years) than in the lean or ideal body weight group (10.4 + 2.7 years). The proportion of poorly differentiated (grade III) tumors was significantly higher in the overweight or obese female dogs. Aromatase expression was significantly higher in the overweight or obese group and was correlated with the expression of HRs (P ¼ .025). These findings suggest that overweight or obese status might affect the development and behavior of CMCs by tumoradipocyte interactions and increased HR-related tumor growth.