Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Electrochemotherapy for treating oral melanoma in dogs
By Tellado, Matías Nicolás et al.·Published in Radiology and oncology·2020·VetOncologia Cancer Clinic·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Electrochemotherapy in treatment of canine oral malignant melanoma and factors influencing treatment outcome.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with oral malignant melanoma, an aggressive type of mouth cancer, received a treatment called electrochemotherapy (ECT) when other options weren't suitable. The results were promising, with dogs in the earlier stages of cancer (stages I and II) showing the best responses and improvements in their quality of life. On average, dogs in stage I lived about 16.5 months after treatment, while those in stage II lived around 9 months. This treatment could be a good option for dogs with this type of cancer, especially if they are diagnosed early and the tumors haven't spread to the bones.
People also search for: dog oral cancer treatment · electrochemotherapy for dogs · canine melanoma prognosis · dog mouth tumor treatment options
Abstract
Background Oral malignant melanoma is the most common, but aggressive oral cancer in dogs with poor prognosis. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) has therapeutic potential in such tumors as effective local treatment. Therefore, the aim of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate treatment effectiveness of ECT in as first line treatment for canine oral malignant melanoma, and search for factors influencing treatment outcome. Methods Sixty-seven canines with primary oral malignant melanoma, non-candidates for first-line therapy, were enrolled. All dogs received ECT and follow-up exams for the span of two years. Results Based on RECIST criteria, the objective response rate was 100%, 89.5%, 57.7%, and 36.4%, in stage I, II, III and IV, respectively. Only patients in stage I, II and III with partial or complete response improved their quality of life. The median time to progression was 11, 7, 4 and 4 months, and median survival time after the treatment was 16.5, 9.0, 7.5 and 4.5 months, for patients in stage I, II, III and IV, respectively. Significantly better was local response in stage I and II disease (p = 0.0013), without the bone involvement (p = 0.043) Conclusions Electrochemotherapy is effective local treatment of oral canine malignant melanoma when no alternative treatment is available. Better response is expected in stage I and II patients with tumors without bone involvement.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32187017/