From case reports to biomarkers: why veterinary oncology lives at both extremes
Veterinary oncology often advances at two very different speeds, and this week’s papers show why both matter.
At one end, we have the single-patient case report: the dog with ovarian T-cell lymphoma and chronic protein-losing enteropathy. These reports are easy to dismiss as anecdotal, yet they are often where new associations first surface. They force clinicians and researchers to put together concepts from seemingly separated fields like inflammation, immune dysregulation, and cancer, often long before mechanisms are neatly defined.
At the other end are translational biomarkers, such as circulating CDC6 plasma levels for monitoring treatment response in canine lymphoma. Here, the ambition is clear: move toward minimally invasive, repeatable tools that can support real-time clinical decision-making and longitudinal studies.
What connects these extremes is not methodology, but intent. Both aim to reduce uncertainty, one by sharpening clinical awareness, the other by standardizing measurement.
Add to this the broader context provided by studies on immune evasion in CTVT and emerging metabolic biomarkers like phenylalanine, and a pattern emerges: veterinary oncology is no longer choosing between depth and breadth. It needs both.
Rare cases generate hypotheses. Biomarkers test them at scale. Together, they shape a field that must operate in real patients, under real constraints, with real biological complexity.
Progress does not come from abandoning one extreme for the other: it comes from connecting them.
Enjoy this week’s newsletter!
Davide Confalonieri,PhD | CEO @Lab4Paws
Oncology
An unusual case links ovarian T-cell lymphoma with chronic protein-losing enteropathy
Jacob Kvesel Mortensen ( University of Copenhagen (Københavns Universitet) ) and colleagues report a rare and clinically challenging case of ovarian T-cell lymphoma in a dog with a history of chronic protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). The case highlights diagnostic complexity, overlapping clinical signs, and the difficulty of disentangling primary gastrointestinal disease from secondary or paraneoplastic processes. The authors discuss pathological findings and clinical evolution, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis when chronic inflammatory disease coexists with atypical neoplasia.
Mortensen JK, Wikström E, van de Velde N. Ovarian T-cell lymphoma in a dog with chronic protein-losing enteropathy. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica. 2026; 68:6. Published 27 Jan 2026. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-025-00847-0
CDC6 plasma levels track treatment response in canine lymphoma
Anne Seijger ( Utrecht University ) and co-authors investigate cell division cycle 6 (CDC6) as a circulating biomarker for monitoring therapeutic efficacy in canine lymphoma patients. By quantifying CDC6 levels in plasma over the course of treatment, the study demonstrates correlations between biomarker dynamics and clinical response. The findings support the feasibility of minimally invasive disease monitoring, offering a potential alternative or complement to imaging and cytology for tracking treatment effectiveness and early relapse.
Seijger A, Musi A, et al., de Bruin A. Therapeutic efficacy monitoring in canine lymphoma patients via quantifying CDC6 plasma levels. BMC Veterinary Research. 2026. Published 24 Jan 2026. doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-05263-0
Diagnostics & Point-of-Care Testing
Not all rapid tests are equal: head-to-head comparison of FIV lateral flow assays
Alicja Laska (Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland) and colleagues perform a comparative evaluation of nine commercial lateral flow assays for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) antibody detection, using an in-house ELISA as the reference method. The study reveals substantial variability in sensitivity and specificity across assays, underscoring the diagnostic risks of false positives and false negatives in clinical practice. The authors stress the need for confirmatory testing and careful assay selection, particularly in screening and shelter settings.
Laska-Modzelewska A, Pawelczak P, et al., Belter A. Comparative evaluation of nine lateral flow assays for FIV antibody detection using an in-house ELISA as a reference method. BMC Veterinary Research. 2026. Published 23 Jan 2026. doi: 10.1186/s12917-026-05303-3
Comparative Oncology & Immunology
Canine transmissible venereal tumour as a living model of immune evasion
Duzanski ( Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais ) and co-authors review canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) as a unique, naturally occurring model of immune evasion. The paper discusses how CTVT persists across hosts by modulating antigen presentation and immune recognition, offering rare insights into long-term tumor–host co-evolution. The authors argue that CTVT represents an underused comparative oncology model with relevance to immune escape mechanisms in both veterinary and human cancers.
Duzanski AP, López-Valbuena FD, Osorio-Zambrano WF, et al. Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumour: A Natural Model of Immune Evasion in Comparative Oncology. Version of Record online 23 Jan 2026. doi: 10.1111/vco.70045
Biomarkers & Metabolism
Phenylalanine emerges as a cross-species disease biomarker
James Mettam ( Murdoch University ) and colleagues provide a comprehensive review of phenylalanine as a biomarker of disease across animal species. The article summarizes current evidence linking altered phenylalanine metabolism to inflammation, liver dysfunction, infection, and cancer, and discusses analytical approaches and translational relevance. The authors outline future directions for integrating amino-acid biomarkers into multi-parameter diagnostic and monitoring strategies in veterinary medicine.
Mettam J, Ghumman NZ, Liu B-T, Annandale H, Gogoi-Tiwari J. Phenylalanine as a biomarker of disease in animals: Current evidence and future perspectives. Open Access Review Article. Available online 22 Jan 2026. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2026.106066
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