Keynote Message

As our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer has grown, so has the availability of tests to assess disease processes in dogs and cats. A cancer biomarker can be broadly defined as a molecule that indicates the presence of cancer or provides information about the likely future behavior of the cancer. To be able to assess the potential value and application of currently available biomarkers in veterinary medicine, it is essential to understand the process and pitfalls of discovery and validation of biomarkers. Analytic validity, clinical validity, and clinical utility of a biomarker all need to be demonstrated. Despite decades of work and extensive resources, even in human medicine the number of biomarkers with clinical utility is limited. Rapid expansion in genomic profiling is increasingly informing care of human cancer patients. Biomarkers in veterinary oncology are still a developing field. This session will describe what is required for the discovery and development of a clinical useful cancer biomarker and will then present several of the diagnostics currently available for veterinary oncology patients, with their usefulness and limitations highlighted.

Key References

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2.  Goossens N, Nakagawa S, Sun X, et al. Cancer biomarker discovery and validation. Translational Cancer Research. 2015;4:256–269. DOI:10.3978/j.issn.2218-676X.2015.06.04.

3.  Gramer I, Leidolf R, Doring B, et al. Breed distribution of the nt230(del4) MDR1 mutation in dogs. Veterinary Journal. 2011;189:67–71. DOI:10.1016/j.tvjl.2010.06.012.

4.  Selting KA, Sharp CR, Ringold R, et al. Serum thymidine kinase 1 and C-reactive protein as biomarkers for screening clinically healthy dogs for occult disease. Veterinary Comparative Oncology. 2015;13:373–84. DOI:10.1111/vco.12052.

5.  Sternberg RA, Pondenis HC, Yang X, Mitchell MA, O'Brie RT, Garrett LD, et al. Association between absolute tumor burden and serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase in canine appendicular osteosarcoma. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 2013;27:955–63. DOI:10.1111/jvim.12121.