title: COX-2 expression and outcome in canine nasal carcinomas treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Queen's Veterinary School Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. z.belshaw.97@cantab.net
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Belshaw
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Constantio-Casas
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Brearley
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Dunning
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dobson
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000662:veterinary; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D004285:Dogs; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2