O03 - Detection of Canine Cancer Prior to Clinical Signs with Blood-Based "Liquid Biopsy"

Abstract: Background

Guidelines-driven screening protocols for early cancer detection in dogs are lacking, and cancer is often detected at advanced stages.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To examine how cancer is typically detected in dogs, and whether liquid biopsy could identify genomic abnormalities in patients with incidentally detected cancers.

Animals

Client-owned dogs with definitive cancer diagnoses, enrolled in a clinical validation study for a novel blood-based liquid biopsy test.

Methods

Medical records were reviewed for history and presenting complaint that led to definitive cancer diagnosis. Blood samples from these dogs were subjected to DNA extraction, proprietary library preparation, and next-generation sequencing. Sequencing data were analyzed using an internally developed bioinformatics pipeline to detect genomic alterations associated with the presence of cancer.

Results

In a cohort of 358 cancer-diagnosed subjects, 3% were detected during a wellness exam, 8% during other routine care (including pre-dental evaluations and grooming), and 89% of cases were diagnosed after the owner reported clinical signs suggestive of cancer. Liquid biopsy results were available for at least 35 of the 41 subjects in which cancer was detected incidentally during a wellness exam or other routine care. The test returned a Cancer Signal Detected (positive) result in approximately 55% of subjects.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The vast majority of canine cancer is diagnosed when the patient is presented for evaluation following the onset of clinical signs. In the majority of patients with incidentally detected cancers, liquid biopsy delivered positive results, demonstrating its potential to serve as a novel cancer screening tool for dogs.