Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lomustine (CCNU) side effects in dogs with cancer 2002-07
By Heading, K L et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2011·Melbourne Veterinary Specialist Centre, Australia·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: CCNU (lomustine) toxicity in dogs: a retrospective study (2002-07).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 206 dogs with tumors, including lymphoma and mast cell tumors, were treated with a chemotherapy drug called CCNU (lomustine). Many of these dogs experienced side effects, with over half showing low white blood cell counts, and about a third having anemia. Vomiting was a common issue, affecting nearly a quarter of the dogs. While some dogs had signs of potential kidney and liver problems, most side effects were manageable and not life-threatening.
People also search for: dog vomiting after chemotherapy · CCNU side effects in dogs · lymphoma treatment for dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence of haematological, renal, hepatic and gastrointestinal toxicities in tumour-bearing dogs receiving 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea (CCNU). DESIGN: The medical records of 206 dogs that were treated with CCNU at the Melbourne Veterinary Specialist Centre between February 2002 and December 2007 were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 206 dogs treated with CCNU, 185 met the inclusion criteria for at least one class of toxicity. CCNU was used most commonly in the treatment of lymphoma, mast cell tumour, brain tumour, histiocytic tumours and epitheliotropic lymphoma. Throughout treatment, 56.9% of dogs experienced neutropenia, 34.2% experienced anaemia and 14.2% experienced thrombocytopenia. Gastrointestinal toxicosis was detected in 37.8% of dogs, the most common sign of which was vomiting (24.3%). Potential renal toxicity and elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) concentration were reported in 12.2% and 48.8% of dogs, respectively. The incidence of hepatic failure was 1.2%. CONCLUSIONS: CCNU-associated toxicity in dogs is common, but is usually not life threatening.
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/21418164/