Canine Oral Melanoma: Comparison of Surgery Versus Surgery Plus Corynebacterium parvum

Abstract

Eighty-nine dogs with malignant oral melanoma were selected for study. All dogs were clinically staged and treated with either surgical excision alone or surgery plus C. parvum immunotherapy. There was no difference in survival time between the two treatment groups. However, in dogs with advanced disease (Stages II, III) there was a statistical difference between surgery alone versus surgery plus C. parvum (p = 0.01). Dogs with Stage I disease (tumor less than 2 cm diameter) had a statistically improved survival (p = 0.02) regardless of the therapy given. These results suggest that C. parvum, when combined with surgery, may have antitumor activity in the canine melanoma model.

Cancer immunology and canine malignant melanoma: A comparative review

“…Slightly more recently, two other agents that provoke a non-specific immune response, Corynebacterium parvum and liposome encapsulated muramyl tripeptide-phosphatidylethanolamine (L-MTP-PE) (with the latter being used as sole therapy or in combination with the cytokine granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)) have been investigated for the treatment of CMM (MacEwen et al, 1986. GM-CSF acts as a growth factor for dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages, both of which are crucial innate cells playing important roles in antigen presentation.…”

“…Survival times quoted for conventionally treated stage II or III oral CMM (Table 1.) range from 3-to 12 months with metastasis being a significant cause of mortality (Bateman et al, 1994;Freeman et al, 2003;MacEwen et al, 1986;Murphy et al, 2005;Proulx et al, 2003). It is, however, worth noting that not all oral CMMs are clinically aggressive and some early stage canine patients as well as patients with histologically benign lesions can have extended survivals (MacEwen et al, 1986;Smedley et al, 2011).…”

Preclinical development of human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-transfected melanoma cell vaccine using established canine cell lines and normal dogs

“…39 Melanomas in dogs provide a translational research model, as cutaneous and oral melanomas are the fourth most common cancer in dogs. 52,53 Mucosal melanomas are highly metastatic and have a poor prognosis in the higher grades and stages. 54,55 As is the case for advanced melanoma in humans, melanoma in dogs is generally resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and metastasis is the major cause of treatment failure and death.…”

Enhancing antimelanoma immune responses through apoptosis

“…The 5-year survival rate for human patients with disseminated disease is less than 5%; 32 the median survival for dogs with stage III melanoma is 14-16 weeks. [29][30][31]33 Neither single-agent nor combination chemotherapy is effective to treat malignant melanoma. In dogs, radiation therapy can be palliative and prolong life in cases without metastatic disease.…”

“…The median survival for dogs with stage III oral melanoma that undergo standard of care is as short as 16 weeks, and usually less if the tumor is nonresectable; death is usually disease-related. [29][30][31] In this group, two dogs achieved complete remission (CR), two dogs achieved partial remission (PR), and one dog had no response. The two dogs that achieved CR died of Toxicity measures were evaluated immediately after administration of the gene therapy (local reactions), and at 3 and 7 days after treatment (systemic changes).…”