Matteo Rossanese, Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Surgery  

We reviewed the medical records of 89 dogs that underwent lung lobectomy for primary lung carcinoma between 2005 and 2022 across four European veterinary institutions. The study was conducted in collaboration with four co-authors based in Italy.

Our objectives were to describe the outcomes in dogs treated with surgery, with or without adjuvant chemotherapy, and to identify prognostic factors associated with survival.

Inclusion criteria required that dogs had undergone thoracic CT for staging, had lung lobectomy for a primary epithelial lung tumour, comprehensive clinical records, histopathological diagnosis, and a minimum of six months follow-up.

Key data extracted    

Data retrieved included signalment, body weight, physical examination and preoperative findings, tumour characteristics, surgical treatment, postoperative complications, time to discharge, histopathological diagnosis, recurrence and use/type of chemotherapy.

Histopathological findings were classified into aggressive histotype (e.g. adenosquamous carcinoma, high grade, degree of differentiation), together with cytological or histopathological examination of the draining lymph nodes and a diagnosis of metastatic disease.

Lymph node evaluation was based on CT findings, cytology or histopathology, and nodes were biopsied or removed selectively, but not routinely.   

Results and clinical significance

Of the 89 dogs, the median age was 11 years and the median body weight 23 kg. All dogs underwent thoracotomy and lung lobectomy to remove the primary tumour. Postoperative complications occurred in 12.4% of dogs and were considered major in 5.6% of patients, including pneumo- and haemothorax.

Median survival time was 252 days (range between 6 to 1,558 days) and the overall progression-free interval was 140 days (range 7 to 684 days). The one, two and three-year survival rates were 61%, 47% and 30%, respectively.

The presence of clinical signs at presentation, pleural effusion, completeness of surgical margins, histopathological features and use of adjuvant chemotherapy did not influence survival. However, asymptomatic dogs and dogs where the tumours were completely excised were reported to have a longer survival, suggesting that significance was not reached possibly due to low numbers.

Histological grade and histotype did not influence survival, although this can likely be related to a minority of cases being diagnosed as more aggressive.

Dogs with maximum tumour diameter ≥ 5 cm had a reduced survival compared to patients with smaller tumours (median survival time 284 days vs. 717 days).

Dogs with lymph node metastasis had a reduced survival compared to patients with no evidence of local metastasis (median survival time 162 days vs. 614 days).

The reason lymph node involvement can negatively influence survival is likely to be the development of further metastatic disease. Therefore, it is important that intrathoracic lymph nodes are always evaluated and possibly biopsied or removed at the time of surgery.

Further studies are warranted to determine the optimal case management and to investigate the efficacy of adjuvant medical treatment for primary epithelial lung cancer in dogs. 

This subject is not just of clinical and academic interest to me but has a deep, personal significance. Below I discuss my own dog, Bettie.

Bettie’s story

When Bettie was diagnosed with lung cancer, I was devastated. I knew she needed surgery and chemotherapy, and I was willing to do anything to give her more time. As a soft tissue surgeon, it can be incredibly hard to hand your own dog over to someone else, but I had complete trust in my colleagues. Bettie underwent surgery the very next day.

She recovered remarkably well, and within just a few days, she was back to her usual, happy self. Once fully recovered, she was referred to our outstanding Oncology team and began chemotherapy. Although her cancer was aggressive, we were able to give her more than six extra months of good-quality life.
What made this time so special was that Bettie remained her joyful, affectionate self throughout her treatment. She never stopped wagging her tail or greeting the hospital staff with enthusiasm.

I will always be profoundly grateful to the incredible team at QMHA for their exceptional care, compassion, and dedication. They not only extended Bettie’s life but ensured that it was happy and full of love. Those extra six months meant everything to me.

Reference: E. Treggiari, G. Romanelli, P. Valenti, V. Montinaro, M. Rossanese (2025) ‘Evaluation of lung lobectomy and adjuvant treatment for primary pulmonary carcinoma in dogs: 89 cases (2005-2022)’, JSAP