Introduction

Early detection is the primary goal of effective cancer screening. In dogs, traditional screening protocols have relied mostly upon the patient’s medical history and routine physical examination, often resulting in identification of cancer at advanced stages following the development of clinical signs. As technology advances, novel screening paradigms are emerging. One such advancement involves the analysis of cancer-associated analytes in blood, which may aid in the detection of malignancy prior to the emergence of clinical signs, potentially allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Methods

Blood samples from presumably cancer-free dogs were subjected to DNA extraction, proprietary library preparation, and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Sequencing data were analyzed using an internally developed bioinformatics pipeline to detect genomic alterations associated with the presence of cancer.

Results

In 188 samples from presumably cancer-free dogs, there were 180 screen negative (‘true negative’) and 8 screen positive (‘putative false positive,’ pFP) results. Follow-up information was available for at least 5 pFP cases; in 2 of these cases, patients were diagnosed with cancer 6–7 months following blood collection, one patient died at age 12 of unknown causes, and workup for two patients found no evidence of cancer. Follow-up is actively being pursued for the remaining 3 pFP cases.

Conclusion

Advances in genomic sequencing technologies are enabling the development of novel cancer screening tools in veterinary medicine. One approach, involving blood-based NGS, may identify early genomic markers of cancer months prior to the development of clinical signs. Early identification and treatment of cancer are important factors to optimize patient outcomes.

Funding Information

This study received funding from PetDx.