Integrating Molecular and Serum Biomarker-based Tests Into the Management of Dogs with Lymphomas

摘要

Lymphomas can occur in dogs of any age, at any anatomic site, and with varying degrees of clinical aggressiveness. Achieving an accurate, complete diagnosis of lymphoma is the first essential step in managing dogs affected by these cancers. As is trueof all cancers, biopsy and histopathology represents the gold standard method for diagnosing lymphomas in dogs. However, obtaining tissue samples for histopathology is not always feasible, thus cytologic evaluation of tissue samples collected by fine needle aspirate is considered an acceptable alternative method of diagnosis. In some cases, neither cytology nor histopathology is sufficient t establish a diagnosis of lymphoma, and additional diagnostic information is needed. In others, clinicians may desire additional information beyond that afforded by cytology or histopathology in order to more accurately estimate a dog's prognosis before initiating therapy. Increasingly, clinicians are seeking to obtain these types of information through molecular and serum biomarker-based testing. Molecular diagnostic tests also have been used to detect rrunimal residual disease (MRD) burden in dogs whose lymphomas have gone into clinical remission following treatment. While these types of information can add meaningfully to the diagnostic evaluation of dogs with lymphomas, it must be recognized that the interpretation of these tests is best made in the context high-quality cytology or histopathology results combined with a thorough review of clinical and historical findings. Attempting to interpret the results of molecular diagnostic tests performed upon poor quality tissue samples or following incomplete clinical evaluation typically adds confusion rather than clarity to a patient's diagnostic assessment.