Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Balloon therapy to ease blocked urethra from bladder cancer in dogs
By Marie Butty, Emmanuelle et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2022·From the Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Irreversible Electroporation Balloon Therapy for Palliative Treatment of Obstructive Urethral Transitional Cell Carcinoma in Dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Three dogs with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) that caused partial blockage of their urethra were treated with a new procedure called irreversible electroporation (IRE) balloon therapy. This treatment involved using a special balloon catheter to deliver electrical pulses to the tumor, aiming to relieve urinary obstruction. After 28 days, one dog had a normal urine stream, another had stable difficulty urinating, and the third had a worsening blockage due to tumor progression. Overall, the procedure appeared safe and may help manage TCC-related urinary issues, but more research is needed to confirm its effectiveness.
People also search for: dog urinary obstruction treatment · transitional cell carcinoma in dogs · IRE therapy for dog tumors
Abstract
Progression of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) in dogs often leads to urinary obstruction. This observational pilot study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of irreversible electroporation (IRE) balloon therapy for the palliative treatment of TCC with partial urethral obstruction. Three client-owned dogs diagnosed with TCC causing partial urethral obstruction were enrolled. After ultrasonographic and cystoscopic examination, IRE pulse protocols were delivered through a balloon catheter device inflated within the urethral lumen. After the procedure, the patients were kept overnight for monitoring and a recheck was planned 28 days later. No complication was observed during the procedure and postprocedural monitoring. After 28 days, one dog had a complete normalization of the urine stream, one dog had stable stranguria, and one dog was presented with a urethral obstruction secondary to progression of the TCC. On recheck ultrasound, one dog had a 38% diminution of the urethral mass diameter whereas the other two dogs had a mass stable in size. IRE balloon therapy seems to be a feasible and apparently safe minimally invasive novel therapy for the palliative treatment of TCC causing urethral obstruction. Further studies are needed to better characterize the safety, efficacy, and outcome of this therapy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36049240/