Prognostic impact of neoadjuvant aglepristone treatment in clinicopathological parameters of progesterone receptor-positive canine mammary carcinomas

Neoadjuvant treatment of canine mammary carcinomas with the progesterone receptor (PR) antagonist aglepristone has a PR expression-related inhibiting effect on proliferation index (PI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the treatment in the disease-free period (DFP) and overall survival (OS) of canine mammary carcinomas. Fifty female dogs with mammary carcinomas were treated with aglepristone (n = 34) or oil vehicle (n = 16) before surgery (day 15). PR expression and PI were analysed by immunohistochemistry in samples taken at days 1 and 15. Epidemiological and clinicopathological data were assessed. DFP and OS data were retrieved every 4-6 months for at least 24 months after surgery. Aglepristone treatment increased DFP of animals bearing PR+ tumours with size smaller than 3 cm, complex and mixed tumours, with histologic grades I and II, and with PI ≤ 10%. Although further studies are necessary, current evidence points to treatment with aglepristone as useful for the management of canine mammary tumours.