Mammary neoplasms in bitches: A statistical study to assist in treatment

Abstract

With the increase in life expectancy of domestic animals and their relationship with the increasingly affective guardians, it is possible to observe an increase in cases of neoplasms in these animals. Mammary neoplasia mainly affects the elderly and non-castrated females due to hormonal dependence for tumor development. The main means of treatment for this cancer is surgical removal of the affected breast or mammary chain. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of breast neoplasms and to relate them to other variables, such as age, tumor margin and lymph node metastasis to try to direct the choice of the surgical technique to be used in the treatment. Through statistical analysis of the reports, it was possible to state that there is a relationship between tumor longevity and malignancy, and this increases the chances of lymph node metastases and surgical margins, thanks to the expansion capacity of the malignant neoplasm. A higher number of animals with a defined breed was found, compared to animals without a defined breed, and this data may also be related to the emergence of mammary neoplasms. Therefore, it can be concluded that long-lived female dogs should undergo radical mastectomy due to the degree of invasiveness of malignant neoplasms, a characteristic presented in this study group.