Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Why dogs with bladder cancer get euthanized after chemo or radiation
By McKenna, Charly et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2024·Ontario Veterinary College, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Reason for euthanasia in dogs with urothelial carcinoma treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy or both: A retrospective observational study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 59 dogs diagnosed with bladder cancer (urothelial carcinoma) received treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. Unfortunately, many of these dogs were euthanized due to complications from the cancer, primarily because of urinary obstruction caused by the tumor. The average survival time after treatment was about 339 days, but the prognosis remains poor, highlighting the need for better treatment options to manage the cancer and prevent urinary blockages.
People also search for: dog bladder cancer treatment · why is my dog having trouble urinating · dog euthanasia after cancer treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Clients want to know the ultimate cause of death in their pet after cancer treatment. The cause of euthanasia and investigation of urinary obstruction in treated dogs with urothelial carcinoma (UC) has not been specifically reported in veterinary literature. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Our hypothesis was that the majority of treated dogs with UC are euthanized secondary to primary tumor factors, such as urinary obstruction. ANIMALS: Fifty-nine client-owned dogs diagnosed with UC. METHODS: Retrospective observational study on clinical signs and disease at euthanasia of dogs with UC treated by radiation therapy or chemotherapy or both. RESULTS: The median overall survival time (OST) of all dogs was 339 days (range, 17-1996; 95% confidence interval [CI], 185-392; interquartile range [IQR], 112-505). Of dogs deemed to have been euthanized because of UC (50/59, 85%), the primary cause was considered to be local progression in 31/50 (62%), most often because of perceived complete or partial urinary obstruction (24/31, 77%). No variables were found to be predictive of urinary obstruction. The overall documented metastatic rate was 56%. In dogs euthanized because of UC, metastasis was deemed to be the cause in 19/50 (38%) dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Regardless of the type of treatment, UC in dogs has a poor prognosis and there is a continuing need to improve treatments that focus on local control of the primary tumor, given its high contribution to the decision for euthanasia. Proactive management to avoid the high frequency of urinary obstruction may be worthy of future investigation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38317542/