Cytologic differentiation of benign from malignant canine mammary tumors.

Cytologic and histologic examination of 91 canine mammary masses was performed by two cytologists and two histopathologists. Ten important cytologic criteria of malignancy for canine mammary tumors were identified. A cytologic grading system for differentiation of benign from malignant mammary tumors was proposed using these criteria. With this system, approximately one fourth of the malignant mammary tumors were given a concordant cytologic diagnosis. Approximately one-half of the benign masses were given a concordant cytologic diagnosis by the two cytologists. One-half of all the tumors examined were given inconclusive cytologic diagnoses by both cytologists. The cytologic identification of spindle cells did not differentiate complex and mixed mammary tumors from simple tumors. Only five of the animals studied died of mammary cancer, precluding a critical analysis of the cytologic criteria for prediction of cancer mortality.