Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Stereotactic radiotherapy for advanced anal sac cancer in dogs
By Faletti, Claire & Van Asselt, Nathaniel·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2024·Department of Surgical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Stereotactic radiotherapy for advanced canine anal sac adenocarcinoma: an exploratory study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of five dogs with advanced anal sac adenocarcinoma (ASAC) underwent a new type of radiation therapy called stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) to see if it could effectively treat their tumors while minimizing side effects. After treatment, four of the dogs showed positive results on follow-up scans, with one dog having a complete response, two showing partial improvement, and one remaining stable. The dogs experienced minimal side effects, making SRT a promising option for managing this aggressive cancer. More research is needed to compare SRT with other treatment methods.
People also search for: dog anal sac adenocarcinoma treatment · stereotactic radiation therapy for dogs · dog cancer radiation side effects
Abstract
For dogs with anal sac adenocarcinoma (ASAC), metastasis to intra-abdominal and pelvic lymph nodes occurs early in the disease course. Death is usually related to locoregional progression. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice, but may not be possible in advanced cases. Dogs treated with RT in the gross disease setting showed a 38%-75% overall response rate, but side effects to organs at risk in this area (especially the colon, bladder, and spinal cord) were reported. Stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) utilizes highly conformal treatment planning with rapid dose fall-off and hypofractionation. SRT may help to reduce the risk of late side effects of radiation while also creating a larger biological effect on ASACs. A primary aim of this prospective, descriptive, exploratory study was to describe the safety and feasibility of an SRT protocol in a small sample of dogs with ASAC, using objective and subjective measures to monitor acute and late side effects. A secondary aim was to describe the anti-tumor response of the SRT protocol using CT at 3- and 6 months posttreatment. Five dogs completed the radiation protocol. Four had follow-up CT characteristics of complete response (1), partial response (2), and stable disease (1). Minimal acute side effects were observed. Despite some large tumor volumes, constraints for OAR were achieved in all but the spinal cord for one patient. Findings indicated that SRT is a safe and feasible treatment for dogs with ACAC. Future studies are warranted to compare patient outcomes for SRT versus other treatments.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38111230/