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Unresectable canine hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents significant challenges due to a scarcity of nonsurgical treatment alternatives. Sorafenib has emerged as a noted targeted therapy for this condition, yet there remains a lack of comprehensive reports detailing the expression of relevant target genes. Consequently, the effectiveness of such targeted treatments in canine HCC is not fully elucidated.
In general, the outlook for HCC is considerably improved when complete surgical resection is feasible. However, the prognosis for cases deemed unresectable, whether nodular or diffuse, is significantly poorer and is characterized by limited nonsurgical remedies. In human medicine, systemic therapies—including targeted treatments—are frequently employed when a cure is challenging to achieve. These systemic therapeutic options encompass conventional molecular targeted agents, hormonal treatments, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and targeted cytotoxic therapies. Despite their potential for high anticancer efficacy, the successful application of these agents typically relies on the presence of specific gene mutations or abnormalities within patients.
Targeted genes play a crucial role in the action of these therapeutic agents, providing antitumor effects through mechanisms that inhibit cell proliferation, impede metastasis, promote anti-angiogenic processes, counteract multidrug resistance, and facilitate apoptosis. Within the context of canine unresectable HCC, sorafenib functions as the primary targeted therapy. Nevertheless, there exists a notable gap in the literature regarding the expression status of its target genes. Recent findings have indicated that the overexpression of PDGFB in canine HCC could signify a viable target for therapy. However, the practical application of targeted therapy remains ambiguous. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the expression of target genes in canine HCC, drawing parallels with their expression in human tumors to provide clearer insights into potential treatment avenues.
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