Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Gemcitabine and carboplatin chemo for treating dog carcinomas
By Dominguez, P A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2009·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Combined gemcitabine and carboplatin therapy for carcinomas in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 37 dogs with confirmed cancer received a combination of two chemotherapy drugs, gemcitabine and carboplatin, to see how well it worked and what side effects occurred. While some dogs experienced mild to moderate side effects like low blood cell counts and gastrointestinal issues, the treatment showed limited success overall, with only a few dogs responding well. One dog with metastatic prostate cancer went into complete remission, while others had partial responses. Most dogs tolerated the treatment, but further adjustments to the dosing may be needed for better results.
People also search for: dog cancer treatment options · gemcitabine carboplatin side effects · chemotherapy for dogs with cancer
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Response and adverse reactions to combined gemcitabine (GEM) and carboplatin (CARBO) therapy in dogs with carcinomas are not documented. HYPOTHESIS: GEM and CARBO are safe for the treatment of dogs with carcinomas. ANIMALS: Thirty-seven dogs with histologically or cytologically confirmed carcinomas. METHODS: Prospective clinical trial. Dogs were treated with GEM (2 mg/kg, 20-30-minute infusion IV) on Days 1 and 8 and 4 hours later, CARBO (10 mg/kg IV) on Day 1. The cycle was repeated on Day 22. RESULTS: Thirty-seven dogs (29 with measurable tumor) received a median of 2 cycles (range 0.5-6) for a total of 101 cycles administered. Twelve dogs (32%) developed neutropenia (3 Grade 3, and 5 Grade 4) and 9 (24%) thrombocytopenia (2 Grade 3, and 1 Grade 4). Dogs >20 kg were twice as likely to develop thrombocytopenia (P= .023). Twenty-seven dogs (73%) had evidence of gastrointestinal (GI) toxicosis, but most signs were of mild to moderate severity and self-limiting. One dog died of treatment-related complications. Overall tumor response rate was 13%. One dog with metastatic prostatic carcinoma achieved a complete remission and 1 dog with intestinal adenocarcinoma and 1 with tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma achieved partial remission. Twelve dogs achieved stable disease for a median of 72 days. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: GEM and CARBO combination causes mild to moderate hematologic and GI toxicosis in dogs with carcinoma. Response rate in this study was modest, and optimization of dosing of this combination is required.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19175731/