title: Comparative Oncology: Evaluation of 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) for the Staging of Dogs with Malignant Tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose PET/CT is a well-established imaging method for staging, restaging and therapy-control in human medicine. In veterinary medicine, this imaging method could prove to be an attractive and innovative alternative to conventional imaging in order to improve staging and restaging. The aim of this study was both to evaluate the effectiveness of this image-guided method in canine patients with spontaneously occurring cancer as well as to illustrate the dog as a well-suited animal model for comparative oncology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten dogs with various malignant tumors were included in the study and underwent a whole body FDG PET/CT. One patient has a second PET-CT 5 months after the first study. Patients were diagnosed with histiocytic sarcoma (n = 1), malignant lymphoma (n = 2), mammary carcinoma (n = 4), sertoli cell tumor (n = 1), gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) (n = 1) and lung tumor (n = 1). PET/CT data were analyzed with the help of a 5-point scale in consideration of the patients' medical histories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In seven of the ten dogs, the treatment protocol and prognosis were significantly changed due to the results of FDG PET/CT. In the patients with lymphoma (n = 2) tumor extent could be defined on PET/CT because of increased FDG uptake in multiple lymph nodes. This led to the recommendation for a therapeutic polychemotherapy as a treatment. In one of the dogs with mammary carcinoma (n = 4) and in the patient with the lung tumor (n = 1), surgery was cancelled due to the discovery of multiple metastasis. Consequently no treatment was recommended.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FDG PET/CT offers additional information in canine patients with malignant disease with a potential improvement of staging and restaging. The encouraging data of this clinical study highlights the possibility to further improve innovative diagnostic and staging methods with regard to comparative oncology. In the future, performing PET/CT not only for staging but also in therapy control could offer a significant improvement in the management of dogs with malignant tumors.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig, Maximilians Universität, 80539, Munich, Germany; Center of Preclinical Research, Technische Universität München, 81675, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie M F
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Seiler
authors.affiliation: Center of Preclinical Research, Technische Universität München, 81675, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig, Maximilians Universität, 80539, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hirschberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Ambros J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Small Animal Surgery and Reproduction, Veterinary Faculty, Ludwig, Maximilians Universität, 80539, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brühschwein
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig, Maximilians Universität, 80539, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kreutzmann
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig, Maximilians Universität, 80539, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Silja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laberke
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig, Maximilians Universität, 80539, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Melanie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wergin
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Small Animal Surgery and Reproduction, Veterinary Faculty, Ludwig, Maximilians Universität, 80539, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meyer-Lindenberg
authors.affiliation: Center of Preclinical Research, Technische Universität München, 81675, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brandl
authors.affiliation: Center of Preclinical Research, Technische Universität München, 81675, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne-Kathrin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: von Thaden
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Eliane
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwaiger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000662:veterinary*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18