Authors: Liam Hargrove, Sofia Lindström, Raj Patel
Journal: Frontiers in Veterinary Oncology and Comparative Medicine (FVOCM), ISSN 3155-9719
Citation: FVOCM 1(1), 2024-02-29.
Type: Original Research
Background: Canine oral melanoma (COM) is an aggressive malignancy with high metastatic potential and poor prognosis. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-1/PD-L1 have shown promise in human melanoma, but their efficacy as adjuvant therapy in COM remains underexplored. This study evaluates the clinical outcomes of adjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy in dogs with surgically resected COM.Methods: A prospective cohort of 42 dogs with stage II–III COM was enrolled. All dogs underwent curative-intent surgery followed by adjuvant caninized anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody (4 mg/kg IV every 3 weeks for 6 cycles). Primary endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included adverse events and immune-related biomarkers. Historical controls (n=50) were derived from medical records of dogs treated with surgery alone.Results: Median DFS was 385 days (95% CI: 312–458) in the ICI group versus 210 days (95% CI: 168–252) in controls (pConclusions: Adjuvant checkpoint inhibitor therapy significantly prolongs DFS and OS in dogs with COM, with manageable toxicity. PD-L1 expression may serve as a predictive biomarker. These findings support the translation of ICI-based immunotherapy to veterinary oncology.
canine oral melanoma, immune checkpoint inhibitors, adjuvant therapy, PD-1, PD-L1, veterinary oncology, immunotherapy