Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Brain tumor size and blood flow changes after radiosurgery in dogs
By Zwingenberger, A L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2016·Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Perfusion and Volume Response of Canine Brain Tumors to Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Radiotherapy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 34 dogs with brain tumors underwent either stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) or stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) to see how well these treatments worked. After treatment, the size of the tumors decreased significantly, and there was also a notable drop in blood flow and volume within the tumors. On average, the dogs lived for about 324 days after treatment, with some surviving longer than 650 days. These findings suggest that SRS and SRT are effective noninvasive options for treating brain tumors in dogs, allowing many to live longer without the tumor being the primary cause of death.
People also search for: dog brain tumor treatment · stereotactic radiosurgery for dogs · dog survival after brain tumor surgery
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) are highly conformal, high-dose radiation treatment techniques used to treat people and dogs with brain tumors. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the response to SRS- and SRT-treated tumors using volume and perfusion variables and to measure the survival times of affected dogs. ANIMALS: Prospective study of 34 dogs with evidence of brain tumors undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) or stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT). METHODS: Computed tomography and MRI imaging were used to calculate tumor volume and perfusion at baseline, and at 3 months and 6 months after treatment. Survival analysis was performed to evaluate treatment efficacy. RESULTS: Mean tumor volume significantly declined from baseline to the first recheck by -0.826 cm(3) (95% CI: -1.165, -0.487) (P < .001); this reduction was maintained at the second recheck. Blood flow and blood volume declined significantly in the tumor after treatment. Median survival was 324 days (95% CI: 292.8, 419.4), and 4 dogs survived longer than 650 days. Neither actual tumor volume (hazard ratio = 1.21, P = .19) nor the change in tumor volume from the baseline (hazard ratio = 1.38, P = .12) significantly affected the hazard of death because of the tumor. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Stereotactic radiosurgery and SRT are effective treatments for reducing tumor volume, blood flow, and blood volume. Treated dogs surviving for more than 1 year are more likely to die from other causes than of their primary brain tumor. SRS and SRT should be considered for noninvasive treatment of intracranial brain tumors.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27149650/