Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dexamethasone did not reduce severe neutropenia in dogs given CCNU
By Intile, J L et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2009·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of dexamethasone as a chemoprotectant for CCNU-induced bone marrow suppression in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs undergoing chemotherapy with CCNU (a cancer treatment) was given dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, to see if it would help protect their bone marrow from severe side effects. Out of 25 dogs that received dexamethasone before their treatment, 64% still experienced a serious drop in white blood cells (grade 4 neutropenia), compared to 45% of dogs that received CCNU alone. Unfortunately, the dexamethasone did not seem to provide the expected protection against this side effect. This means that while dexamethasone is helpful in some cases, it did not reduce the risk of severe neutropenia in these dogs.
People also search for: dog chemotherapy side effects · CCNU treatment for dog cancer · dexamethasone for dogs
Abstract
In mice and people, administering corticosteroids before chemotherapy can reduce the severity of myelosuppression without reducing antitumour effects. This study investigated whether pretreatment with dexamethasone would reduce the incidence of grade 4 neutropenia in dogs receiving CCNU. Twenty-five dogs received dexamethasone [0.1 mg kg(-1) per os (PO) every 12 h] for 5 days and on the sixth day received CCNU (90 mg m(-2) PO). Historical dogs (n = 67) received CCNU alone (90 mg m(-2) PO). Forty-five percent of historical dogs had grade 4 neutropenia, while 64% of dogs pretreated with dexamethasone had grade 4 neutropenia (P = 0.16). Dexamethasone plasma levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in three healthy dogs. Peak plasma concentrations after a single oral 0.1-mg kg(-1) dose were <80 ng mL(-1), the minimum level associated with chemoprotective effects of dexamethasone in people. Pretreatment with dexamethasone did not reduce the incidence of grade 4 neutropenia in dogs receiving CCNU.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19222832/