Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Radiation therapy for treating anal sac cancer in dogs
By Swan, Michaela et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2021·Oncology Department, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pilot study evaluating the feasibility of stereotactic body radiation therapy for canine anal sac adenocarcinomas.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Twelve dogs with anal sac adenocarcinoma (a type of cancer near the rear end) were treated with a specialized radiation therapy called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Some dogs had their tumors directly targeted, while others received radiation after surgery. Most dogs experienced mild side effects like diarrhea and skin irritation, but one dog had a more serious issue with its rectum. On a positive note, the dogs lived a median of about 991 days after treatment, suggesting that this radiation therapy could be a safe and effective option for managing this type of cancer in dogs.
People also search for: dog anal sac adenocarcinoma treatment · SBRT for dog cancer · dog radiation therapy side effects
Abstract
The use of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to treat many canine tumors is rapidly expanding. However, published studies are lacking regarding use of SBRT for management of canine anal sac adenocarcinoma (ASAC), primarily due to concerns regarding intolerable late effects. The objective of this retrospective, pilot study was to describe the efficacy and safety profile of coarse fractions administered with an SBRT regime to manage a group of dogs with ASAC. A total of 12 dogs with ASAC that received SBRT as a component of their treatment were sampled. Three patients had macroscopic primary tumors irradiated, while nine patients received SBRT following incomplete surgical resection. Seven patients also received metastatic regional lymph node irradiation. Primary tumor and nodal irradiation sites received three fractions totaling 22-24 Gy and 22.5-24 Gy, respectively, over three consecutive days. All patients developed acute effects including mild colitis, alopecia, and erythema. Late effects included alopecia, variable dermal pigmentation and leuko- or melanotrichia within radiation fields, and rectal stricture in one patient. A median progression free survival time of 549 days and median survival time of 991 days were achieved in this study. These results should be considered preliminary data suggesting that coarse fractionation administered with an SBRT technique is a safe and effective treatment regime for the management of canine ASAC, with the aim to conduct prospective studies in the future.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34121267/