Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Does elective lymph node radiation improve survival for dogs
By Gualtieri, Patricia et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2025·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluating the Impact of Elective Nodal Irradiation for Dogs With Oral Malignant Melanoma Undergoing Hypofractionated Radiotherapy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 100 dogs with oral malignant melanoma (a type of mouth cancer) received a treatment called hypofractionated radiotherapy, with some also getting extra radiation to nearby lymph nodes. Researchers wanted to see if this additional radiation made a difference in how long the dogs lived or how their cancer progressed. They found that adding the extra radiation did not significantly improve outcomes compared to those who only received the standard treatment. The main factor affecting survival was the stage of the cancer at diagnosis, not whether the lymph nodes were treated.
People also search for: dog oral melanoma treatment · hypofractionated radiotherapy for dogs · dog cancer survival rates
Abstract
Hypofractionated radiotherapy (hRT) is often used to treat dogs with oral malignant melanoma (OMM); however, there is no consensus as to whether clinically uninvolved regional lymph nodes should be prophylactically irradiated. The objective of this retrospective study is to compare outcomes for dogs with OMM treated with hRT+/- elective nodal irradiation (ENI). Dogs with nonmetastatic OMM undergoing hRT+/- ENI with a prescription of ≥ 30 Gy were included. Survival statistics were evaluated with Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank testing. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess how survival was impacted by the use of ENI, WHO T-stage, mitotic count, RT technique, and use of Oncept melanoma vaccine. Data from four institutions and 100 dogs (80 with ENI and 20 without) were included. In the ENI group, nodal and distant metastases were documented in 4 and 30 dogs, respectively. In the non-ENI group, nodal and distant metastases were documented in 6 and 4 dogs, respectively. There was no significant difference in the 1-year nodal or distant progression-free intervals (p = 0.174, and 0.563, respectively). The only variable maintaining significance on multivariable analysis was T-stage (overall progression-free survival, HR 1.393, p = 0.006; overall survival time, HR 1.426, p = 0.005; distant progression-free interval, HR 1.521, p = 0.033). ENI did not measurably alter the oncologic outcomes in this study population. Results should be interpreted cautiously given the lack of standardised staging/restaging and the heterogenous nature of this clinical population. Future investigations are needed to clarify the role of ENI in the treatment of canine OMM.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40677085/