Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Factors that affect survival in dogs with bone cancer in legs
By Boerman Ilse et al.·Published in BMC Veterinary Research·2012·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Prognostic factors in canine appendicular osteosarcoma – a meta-analysis
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma, a common bone cancer, have a shorter survival time if their tumor is located in the proximal humerus (the upper part of the front leg) or if they have elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SALP) levels, which is a marker of bone disease. Typically, without treatment, dogs with this type of cancer live less than five months. However, treatments like amputation and chemotherapy can extend their lives. Understanding these factors can help veterinarians tailor treatments for better outcomes.
People also search for: dog bone cancer prognosis · osteosarcoma treatment for dogs · elevated alkaline phosphatase in dogs
Abstract
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Appendicular osteosarcoma is the most common malignant primary canine bone tumor. When treated by amputation or tumor removal alone, median survival times (MST) do not exceed 5 months, with the majority of dogs suffering from metastatic disease. This period can be extended with adequate local intervention and adjuvant chemotherapy, which has become common practice. Several prognostic factors have been reported in many different studies, e.g. age, breed, weight, sex, neuter status, location of tumor, serum alkaline phosphatase (SALP), bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), infection, percentage of bone length affected, histological grade or histological subtype of tumor. Most of these factors are, however, only reported as confounding factors in larger studies. Insight in truly significant prognostic factors at time of diagnosis may contribute to tailoring adjuvant therapy for individual dogs suffering from osteosarcoma. The objective of this study was to systematically review the prognostic factors that are described for canine appendicular osteosarcoma and validate their scientific importance.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A literature review was performed on selected studies and eligible data were extracted. Meta-analyses were done for two of the three selected possible prognostic factors (SALP and location), looking at both survival time (ST) and disease free interval (DFI). The third factor (age) was studied in a qualitative manner. Both elevated SALP level and the (proximal) humerus as location of the primary tumor are significant negative prognostic factors for both ST and DFI in dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma. Increasing age was associated with shorter ST and DFI, however, was not statistically significant because information of this factor was available in only a limited number of papers.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Elevated SALP and proximal humeral location are significant negative prognosticators for canine osteosarcoma.</p>
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-8-56