Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Combined chemo and radiation treatment for invasive bladder cancer
By Malfassi, Luca et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2021·"La Cittadina" Foundation for Veterinary Studies and Research, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A combined protocol with piroxicam, chemotherapy, and whole pelvic irradiation with simultaneous boost volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy for muscle-invasive canine urinary transitional cell carcinoma: First clinical experience.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with muscle-invasive urinary transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) were treated with a combination of piroxicam, chemotherapy, and advanced radiation therapy targeting the pelvic area. The treatment was well tolerated, with no serious side effects reported. Dogs without metastasis had a median survival time of about 1,230 days, while those with metastasis had a median of 150 days. Half of the dogs without metastasis were still alive at the time of the study, suggesting that this treatment approach could be effective for managing TCC in dogs.
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Abstract
The aims of this pilot study were to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of high-dose hypofractionated volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) applied to whole pelvic region radiotherapy (WPRT) with multilevel simultaneous integrated boost (MLSIB) combined with piroxicam and chemotherapy for the treatment of canine transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the lower urinary tract with muscle invasion TCC. Twelve dogs were enrolled, according to stage, in two groups: group 1, TCC confined to the urinary tract; group 2, TCC with metastasis. The planning target volume dose was tailored from 36 to 42 Gy in 6 fractions. All dogs were prescribed piroxicam and radiosensitizing carboplatin, and six received chemotherapy after radiotherapy. Serial follow-ups with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were performed. Disease control and toxicity effects were evaluated according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors and Veterinary Radiation Therapy Oncology Group criteria. The treatment was well tolerated, and no high-grade side effects were reported. The median overall survival times for groups 1 and 2 were 1,230 and 150 days, respectively. A considerable percentage of patients in group1 (50%) were still alive at the time of writing this paper, and a longer follow-up could enable a more accurate survival analysis. This preliminary analysis shows that VMAT applied to the WPRT with MLSIB is an effective and safe option for dogs with lower urinary TCC, although the presence of metastases worsens the prognosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32963177/