Innovations and Challenges in Canine Mammary Cancer Treatment: A New Frontier

Canine mammary tumours represent the most common neoplasia in intact female dogs, with an incidence comparable to that of breast cancer in women. Malignant forms carry a lifetime risk ranging from 2% to 20%, while benign forms may affect up to 100% of susceptible individuals depending on hormonal status, age, and genetic predisposition. Surgical resection remains the cornerstone of curative treatment, though aggressive histotypes — such as solid carcinoma — often require adjuvant chemotherapy. Prognosis is influenced by tumour size, histological grade, lymphovascular invasion, and regional lymph node involvement. Lymphatic spread represents one of the primary metastatic routes in CMTs, making accurate nodal staging a critical determinant of both prognosis and treatment planning. Despite recent progress in the identification of biological markers, broader therapeutic advancements are necessary for effective treatment.The surgical management of canine mammary tumours requires careful evaluation of clinical staging, local tumour extent, and patient condition. However, consensus on standardized surgical protocols — particularly regarding optimal resection margins — remains elusive. Personalized treatment plans, tailored to individual patient profiles, have demonstrated improved outcomes in both single-modality and multimodal settings. Importantly, research in this field offers dual translational value: it directly advances canine health while providing mechanistic insights into breast cancer pathogenesis relevant to human oncology.This Research Topic aims to consolidate current knowledge on standard-of-care practices for canine mammary tumours, while highlighting emerging surgical and therapeutic strategies. deeper understanding of the patho-physiological and molecular landscape of canine tumours is crucial for their integration into drug development pipelines — enhancing both preclinical assessments and clinical trial feasibility , particularly for tumour types with limited human patient availability.In this context, sentinel lymph node mapping is emerging as a particularly promising tool. Well-established in human breast cancer surgery — where it has largely replaced routine axillary dissection — sentinel lymph node biopsy is now gaining traction in veterinary oncology as a minimally invasive method for accurate locoregional staging. Techniques such as blue dye injection, radioscintigraphy, and near-infrared fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green, are being actively investigated in dogs, though standardized protocols remain to be defined.We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Comparative pathophysiology of canine and human breast cancer• Novel adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies for mammary cancer• Case studies on individualized surgical approaches• Impacts of environmental and genetic factors on tumour progression• Advances in diagnostic imaging for early detection and treatment planning• Sentinel lymph node mapping and biopsy: translational techniques and clinical applications in canine mammary tumours Topic editors: Giulia Moretti, Antonello Bufalari, Elisabetta Razzuoli, Luca Mechelli Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82632/innovations-and-challenges-in-canine-mammary-cancer-treatment-a-new-frontier