Cytological lymph node evaluation in dogs with mast cell tumours: association with grade and survival

The purpose of this retrospective cohort study is to describe the association of cytological assessment of lymph node metastasis with survival and tumour grade in dogs with mast cell tumours. Regional lymph node aspirates of 152 dogs diagnosed with a mast cell tumour were reviewed and classified according to specific cytological criteria for staging. 97 dogs (63.8%) had stage I tumours, and 55 (36.2%) had stage II tumours. Stage II dogs had a significantly shorter survival time than dogs with stage I disease (0.8 and 6.2 years, respectively; P < 0.0001). Dogs with grade III mast cell tumours were more likely to have stage II disease (P = 0.004). These results suggest that cytological evaluation of lymph nodes in dogs with mast cell tumours provides useful and valuable clinical information, and the results correlate with tumour grade and outcome thus providing a practical and non-invasive method for staging.