Evaluating planned surgical margins for complete resection of soft tissue sarcoma in dogs: 31 cases.

Objectives animals and procedure: a minimum 3 cm yield complete histologic (tumor-free) margins with the same frequency. A secondary aim was to evaluate if planned narrow margins of 1 to 1.5-centimeter lateral margins with 1 fascial plane deep can produce an acceptable rate of complete surgical excision. Results: Of tumors that were sampled preoperatively, biopsies were obtained in 14/30 (46.6%) of cases; 85% of these were accurate in diagnosing tumor grade. Of the 31 total tumors included in this study, there was complete resection in 7/8, or 88% (95% CI: 79%, 92%), with a 1 to 1.5-centimeter lateral margin; 10/11, or 91% (95% CI: 85%, 94%), with a 2 to 2.5-centimeter margin; and 11/12, or 92% (95% CI: 86%, 95%), with a 3-centimeter margin. All 3 incompletely resected tumors were grade 1. Conclusion and clinical relevance: Although statistical significance was not demonstrated due to a small sample size, the results of this study suggest clinical importance, with comparable rates of resection among these groups.