Diagnosis and Treatment of Canine Lung Tumours
Primary lung cancer is uncommon in dogs. Affected patients may have respiratory signs, general malaise or the disease may be diagnosed incidentally. Cytology or histopathology are required for diagnosis following identification of a pulmonary mass or masses on thoracic imaging. Lung cancers are mostly epithelial in origin.
Surgery, most often lung lobectomy, is the treatment of choice. In some cases this may be followed by chemotherapy if the risk of recurrence or metastasis is deemed high. However, the efficacy of chemotherapy in the adjuvant and palliative setting does require further investigation. Median survival times for dogs with primary lung cancer vary depending on the extent of disease at diagnosis and the presence of prognostic factors. Dogs with positive prognostic factors treated surgically may survive one to two years. Those with negative prognostic factors or who are not treated surgically, tend to live less than one year. Overall median survival times are reported at 12-13 months.
All our Tutored Online CPD Courses are written and taught by an expert in the relevant field. The tutor for this course is:
Dr Shasta Lynch BVSc(hons) MANZCVS(SAM) DipECVIM-CA(Oncology). MRCVS RCVS and European Veterinary Specialist in Oncology