Clinical and histopathological features and prognosis of gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas in Jack Russell Terriers

There has been an increase in the number of Jack Russell Terriers (JRTs) diagnosed with adenomas and adenocarcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract in Japan. This study retrospectively investigated the clinical and histopathological features and prognosis of adenocarcinomas arising in the gastrointestinal tract in JRT dogs. Seven JRTs and 39 dogs of other breeds diagnosed with gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma were included in the study. The most common sites of gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma in JRTs were the pylorus and rectum. On histopathological examination, these adenocarcinomas showed a papillary or tubular growth pattern, and the lesions were confined within the mucosal epithelium and poorly invasive. Among all dogs with gastric adenocarcinoma, the median survival time (MST) for five of the JRTs could not be determined because more than half of the cases remained alive, while the MST for nine non-JRT dogs was 34 days. Among all dogs with adenocarcinoma in the large intestine, the MST for three of the JRTs could not be determined, while the MST for nine non-JRT dogs was 1,973 days. The difference in MST between JRT and non-JRT dogs with gastric adenocarcinoma was significant (P=0.0220). Since gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas in JRTs show distinct characteristics with respect to their clinical features, treatment course, and prognosis, a different surgical and medical treatment plan should be considered compared to the management of gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas in other dog breeds.