Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Treatment options for soft-tissue sarcomas in dogs
By Ettinger, Susan N·Published in Clinical techniques in small animal practice·2003·Animal Medical Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Principles of treatment for soft-tissue sarcomas in the dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with a soft-tissue sarcoma, a type of tumor that can invade surrounding tissues, was treated with a combination of surgery and radiation therapy. The veterinarian first performed a biopsy to determine the tumor type and grade, which helped plan for a more aggressive surgery. After the initial surgery, radiation therapy was used to target any remaining cancer cells, especially since the tumor was not completely removed. This combined approach improved the chances of recovery and reduced the risk of the tumor coming back.
People also search for: dog soft tissue sarcoma treatment · dog tumor surgery recovery · radiation therapy for dog cancer
Abstract
Soft-tissue sarcomas develop from a variety of mesenchymal tissues, but they are often considered collectively, due to similarity in clinical behavior and histologic features. These tumors are locally invasive, with poorly defined histologic margins and neoplastic cells that often infiltrate through fascial planes. In general, local recurrence is common following conservative excision. Pretreatment biopsy provides information on tumor type and grade, which will allow the clinician to properly plan for an aggressive first surgery. Adopted from human medicine, the canine histopathologic grading system is predictive. Specifically, mitotic rate is predictive for metastasis, and necrosis and mitotic rate are predictive for survival. Diagnostic imaging is useful to determine the extent of disease and for treatment planning. The most effective treatment for soft-tissue sarcomas is surgical excision. Surgery with curative intent requires preoperative biopsy, planning, and a wide first excision. Increasingly, surgery is being replaced by a combined-modality approach. Radiation therapy plays an important role in the management of soft-tissue sarcomas, but it has little role as a single treatment modality. Radiation therapy is appropriate for incompletely excised tumors or for preoperative treatment. Chemotherapy's role is most appropriate in the adjunct setting, and is mainly used to treat incompletely resected tumors, high-grade tumors, and metastatic disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12831074/