Objective-To evaluate recurrence rate and disease-free interval (DFI) of dogs with low-grade soft tissue spindle cell sarcoma of the extremities treated by marginal excision. Study Design-Retrospective study. Animals-Dogs (n ¼ 35) with soft tissue low-grade spindle cell sarcoma. Methods-Medical records were reviewed and dogs that had marginal surgical resection of lowgrade soft tissue spindle cell sarcoma at or distal to elbow and stifle were included. Results-Histopathologic margins were dirty (12 dogs), clean but close (12), and clean (11). Followup after surgery occurred from 210 to 2202 days (minimum, 180 days). Local recurrence and metastatic rates were 10.8% and 0%, respectively. Median DFI and survival time were not reached, because o50% of dogs died of disease-related events. Mean DFI and mean survival time were 697.8 days (95% CI: 559.7-836 days) and 703.5 days (95% CI: 566.6-840.5 days), respectively. There were no significant differences among survival functions stratified by histologic margins. Conclusion-Marginal surgical excision without adjuvant treatment of low-grade soft tissue spindle cell sarcoma of the extremities results in a low local recurrence rate. Clinical Relevance-Low-grade spindle cell sarcomas located at or distal to the elbow and stifle joints can be excised without need for wide or radical surgery. r

In cancer gene therapy there are basic elements that need to be accomplished in order to produce an effective therapy. These are specifi c targeting of cancer cells, high expression of trans-genes and low toxicity.We have used the telomerase promoter which is shown to be active in 85-90% of canine cancers and combined this with a two-step amplifi cation mechanism. In this system the telomerase promoter drives the transcription of a transcriptional activator protein which in turn activates a strong minimal promoter to transcribe the trans-gene of interest. We have tested this system in cell culture using telomerase positive and negative cell lines and have shown the ability of this system to be very active in telomerase positive cells. We have also compared our system with the GAL4-VP16 system which is commonly used in gene therapy.Results: Our system shows a high level of specifi city and sensitivity and it is superior to the GAL4-VP16 system. Conclusion:We have developed a system with a unique potential to target cancer cells and express trans-genes at a high level and believe that this system will be able to improve gene therapy mechanisms. Prospect:We are working on developing a conditionally replicative adenovirus using CAV-1 making it capable of replicating and inducing lysis in telomerase positive cells. Simultaneously we are on using the TRAIL gene for cancer cell killing.

Cutaneous candidiasis is usually related to immunosuppressive diseases and/or therapies as predisposing factors. In humans, chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC) is observed with thymoma and thymectomy. In this case report we describe the clinical and pathological findings, laboratory analysis, treatment, and follow-up of a thymectomized dog with cutaneous and mucocutaneous generalized candidiasis.