COX-2 expression and outcome in canine nasal carcinomas treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy

• Published in: Veterinary & comparative oncology Vol. 9; no. 2; pp. 141 - 148
• Main Authors: Belshaw, Z, Constantio-Casas, F, Brearley, M.J, Dunning, M.D, Holmes, M.A, Dobson, J.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-06-2011
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - enzymology; Adenocarcinoma - mortality; Adenocarcinoma - radiotherapy; Adenocarcinoma - veterinary; Animals; canine; carcinoma; Carcinoma - enzymology; Carcinoma - mortality; Carcinoma - radiotherapy; Carcinoma - veterinary; Carcinoma, Papillary - enzymology; Carcinoma, Papillary - mortality; Carcinoma, Papillary - radiotherapy; Carcinoma, Papillary - veterinary; COX-2 expression; Cyclooxygenase 2 - metabolism; Dog Diseases - enzymology; Dog Diseases - mortality; Dog Diseases - radiotherapy; Dogs; Dose Fractionation; Female; Immunohistochemistry; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; nasal; nose; Nose Neoplasms - enzymology; Nose Neoplasms - mortality; Nose Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Nose Neoplasms - veterinary; Prognosis; prostaglandin synthase; radiotherapy; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 1476-5810; 1476-5829
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5829.2010.00243.x

The expression of cyclooxygenase isoform 2 (COX-2) in canine nasal carcinomas has been well documented. COX-2 expression has proven to be a prognostic factor in several human tumours. The aims of this study were to assess the correlation between immunohistochemical COX-2 expression and prognosis using rhinoscopic biopsies from 42 dogs with nasal carcinomas treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy, and to establish a replicable COX-2 scoring system. Ninety per cent of sections evaluated were COX-2 positive with a mean score of 6.6 (median 8.0; range 0-12). Neither COX-2 expression nor tumour type had a significant correlation with survival. There are likely to be many as yet unidentified variants which contribute to length of survival in dogs with nasal carcinomas. Immunohistochemical COX-2 expression appears unlikely to be of prognostic significance for canine nasal carcinoma.