Recent Developments in Small Animal Oncology

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Internal Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1376

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Bologna, Italy
Interests: veterinary oncology; canine and feline mammary carcinomas; HER2 oncogene; pulmonary carcinoma
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Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 47042 Cesenatico, Italy
Interests: veterinary oncology; canine and feline meningiomas; small animal pituitary tumors
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Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Interests: canine and feline mammary tumors; papillomavirus-related tumors; immunohistochemistry; digital pathology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Small animal oncology has seen remarkable progress with advancements in diagnostics, therapeutic approaches, and translational research. Emerging treatments, such as immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and cancer vaccines, are being adapted for a variety of small animal species, including dogs, cats, rabbits, and other companion animals. Novel therapeutic strategies, such as checkpoint inhibitors, DNA-based treatments, and autologous cancer vaccines, are showing promise in enhancing survival and quality of life. Recent innovations in diagnostic technologies, including liquid biopsy, molecular imaging, and AI-assisted analysis, are facilitating earlier and more accurate cancer detection. Furthermore, the field of comparative oncology continues to bridge human and veterinary medicine, driving discoveries that benefit both species. This Special Issue highlights the increasing importance of precision medicine and the One Health approach in veterinary oncology, welcoming original research, reviews, and clinical reports on novel therapies, diagnostic advancements, and translational models in small animal oncology.

Dr. Barbara Brunetti
Dr. Luciana Mandrioli
Dr. Giovanni Pietro Burrai
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • small animal oncology
  • immunotherapy
  • targeted therapy
  • cancer vaccine
  • liquid biopsy
  • comparative oncology
  • canine cancer
  • feline oncology
  • rabbit oncology
  • ferret cancer
  • pet guinea pig
  • pet hamster oncology
  • molecular diagnostics
  • One Health
  • precision medicine
  • veterinary oncology
  • translational research

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 1359 KB  
Article
Differential HER2 Expression Across Feline Nasal Carcinoma and Its Relationship with Proliferation and p53 Status
by Maral Anjomanibenisi, Ginevra Martinoli, Michele Olei, Barbara Bacci and Barbara Brunetti
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(3), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13030212 - 25 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1020
Abstract
Feline nasal carcinomas are rare but clinically aggressive neoplasms. This study characterizes their histopathological features and evaluates HER2, p53, Ki-67, and PCNA expression using immunohistochemistry and digital image analysis, aiming to provide a comprehensive biological characterization with potential prognostic and therapeutic implications. Tumors [...] Read more.
Feline nasal carcinomas are rare but clinically aggressive neoplasms. This study characterizes their histopathological features and evaluates HER2, p53, Ki-67, and PCNA expression using immunohistochemistry and digital image analysis, aiming to provide a comprehensive biological characterization with potential prognostic and therapeutic implications. Tumors were classified into adenocarcinomas (AC) and non-adenocarcinomas (non-AC). Among the 23 cases examined, adenocarcinoma was the most common subtype (17 cases). HER2 was scored as 3+ in 7 cases, 2+ in 8 cases, 1+ in 5 cases, and 3 cases were scored 0. A statistically significant association was found between histological type and HER2 expression (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.02), with a higher prevalence of HER2 positivity in adenocarcinomas. Evaluation of p53 expression according to histological grouping showed a trend toward significance (p = 0.0593), with p53 positivity observed exclusively in non-AC. The Ki-67 index had a median of 4.4 (min 0.5, max 21.06), and the PCNA index had a median of 82.26 (min 19.55, max 100). No significant associations were identified between the Ki-67 labeling index and HER2 expression, histotype, and the inflammatory infiltrate. Finally, Pearson correlation analysis revealed no significant correlation between Ki-67 and PCNA indices (p = 0.32). The overexpression of HER2 lays the groundwork for the possible use of anti-HER2 targeted drugs in this tumor type, particularly in adenocarcinomas. These findings provide baseline immunohistochemical data for feline nasal carcinomas and highlight HER2 as a relevant biomarker for future diagnostic and therapeutic research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Developments in Small Animal Oncology)
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