Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Topical 1% 5-fluorouracil treats corneal cancer in young dog
By Overton, Taryn L et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2015·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A pulse-dose topical 1% 5-fluorouracil treatment regimen in a young dog with corneal squamous cell carcinoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old spayed female Pug was brought in for a corneal perforation in her right eye, which was treated with surgery. After the surgery, two gray-white areas appeared on her cornea, and a biopsy confirmed she had corneal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). To treat this, the vet applied a topical ointment containing 1% 5-fluorouracil four times a day for four days each month over six months. Twenty-three months later, the Pug is still comfortable and has not shown any signs of SCC returning, although she continues to receive daily treatment with cyclosporine to manage corneal pigmentation.
People also search for: Pug eye cancer treatment · corneal squamous cell carcinoma in dogs · 5-fluorouracil for dog eye problems
Abstract
PURPOSE: To describe the use of a pulse-dose topical 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment regimen in a Pug dog with corneal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS: A 1-year-old, spayed female Pug was evaluated for a corneal perforation of the right eye, which was surgically stabilized with a conjunctival pedicle graft. At the time of medial canthoplasty 7 weeks later, two areas of gray-white discoloration had developed medial and lateral to the graft. Biopsy samples were obtained via superficial keratectomy while under general anesthesia. RESULTS: Definitive diagnosis of corneal SCC was made through histopathological examination of the surgical biopsies. Thoracic radiography and submandibular lymph node cytology revealed no evidence of metastatic neoplasia. Following healing of the corneal biopsy sites, topical 1% 5-FU ointment was applied four times daily for four consecutive days once a month, for six treatment cycles. Twenty-three months after diagnosis, the patient remains visual and comfortable with no evidence of SCC recurrence. Long-term therapy with once daily topical 1% cyclosporine solution was used to manage corneal pigmentation bilaterally. CONCLUSIONS: The pulse-therapy 1% 5-FU protocol was a successful, convenient, and cost-effective adjunctive treatment with few adverse effects.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25270617/