Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Radiation therapy helps dogs with nasal tumors live longer and feel
By Buchholz, Julia et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2009·Vetsuisse Faculty·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: 3D conformal radiation therapy for palliative treatment of canine nasal tumors.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 38 dogs with confirmed nasal tumors received palliative radiation therapy to help manage their symptoms. The treatment involved multiple sessions of radiation, and all dogs showed improvement in their clinical signs after the therapy. While most of the dogs eventually passed away due to their tumors, those with less advanced tumors lived longer without progression of their disease, with some enjoying up to 21 months of better quality of life. The radiation therapy was generally well-tolerated, with only mild and temporary side effects.
People also search for: dog nasal tumor treatment · palliative radiation for dogs · canine nasal cancer symptoms
Abstract
We evaluated the response of 38 dogs treated with a coarsely fractionated, palliative radiation protocol based on CT-based 3D treatment planning. Dogs with histologically confirmed malignant nasal tumors were studied. Treatment prescriptions consisted of 3-4 x 8 Gy, 4-5 x 6 Gy, or 10 x 3 Gy fractions. Selected patient and tumor factors were evaluated for an effect on outcome. Resolution of clinical signs was reported after irradiation in all dogs. Acute toxicities were mild and short lived. Thirty-seven of 38 dogs died or were euthanized due to tumor-related disease. Overall median progression-free interval (PFI) was 10 months. Tumor stage affected response, with modified stage 1 patients having a median PFI 21.3 months vs. a median PFI of 8.5 months for modified stage 2 patients (P = 0.0006). Modified stage was the only factor significantly related to outcome. Based on these findings, a palliative radiation prescription based on computerized treatment planning may be justified in some canine nasal tumor patients.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19999357/