Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chemo options and survival for dogs with metastatic splenic
By Marconato, Laura et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2019·Centro Oncologico Veterinario, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Adjuvant anthracycline-based vs metronomic chemotherapy vs no medical treatment for dogs with metastatic splenic hemangiosarcoma: A multi-institutional retrospective study of the Italian Society of Veterinary Oncology.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with advanced splenic hemangiosarcoma (a type of cancer) underwent surgery to remove their spleen, followed by different treatments: some received a high-dose chemotherapy (doxorubicin), others received a lower-dose chemotherapy (metronomic), and some had no further treatment. The dogs that received the high-dose chemotherapy lived longer and had a better time before the cancer progressed compared to those on the lower-dose or no treatment. However, the high-dose group also experienced more side effects. Overall, while the high-dose treatment offered some benefits, the risks of side effects need to be considered when deciding on treatment options.
People also search for: dog hemangiosarcoma treatment · splenic cancer in dogs · chemotherapy side effects in dogs
Abstract
Treatment options for dogs with metastatic (stage III) splenic hemangiosarcoma are limited. A doxorubicin-based chemotherapy regimen is commonly administered; however, there are no published data to support this practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of maximum-tolerated-dose chemotherapy (MTD), metronomic chemotherapy (MC) and no adjuvant treatment on outcome in dogs with stage III splenic hemangiosarcoma undergoing splenectomy. Medical records of dogs with stage III splenic hemangiosarcoma that underwent splenectomy followed by MTD chemotherapy, MC or no adjuvant treatment were retrieved. Time to progression (TTP), survival time (ST) and toxicity were evaluated. One hundred three dogs were identified: 23 received adjuvant MTD, 38 MC and 42 were not medically treated. Overall median TTP and ST were 50 (95% confidence interval [CI], 39-61) and 55 days (95% CI, 43-66), respectively. Dogs treated with adjuvant MTD had a significantly longer TTP and ST compared with dogs receiving MC (median TTP, 134 vs 52 days, P = .025; median ST, 140 vs 58 days, P = .023, respectively). Dogs treated by splenectomy only had the shortest median TTP (28 days) and ST (40 days). However, treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were significantly more frequent in the MTD group (P = .017). The outcome for dogs with metastatic splenic hemangiosarcoma is poor. While MTD showed greater efficacy compared to MC, toxicity was higher in this group. Treatment-related AEs need to be carefully balanced against this modest survival prolongation when offering adjuvant MTD to dogs with advanced stage hemangiosarcoma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31251441/