Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Radiation treatment for mast cell tumors on dogs and cats heads
By Martin, Tiffany W et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2023·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Superficial kilovoltage x-ray radiotherapy for the treatment of cutaneous mast cell tumors on the head in three dogs and one cat: a limited retrospective case series.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old female dog, a 10-year-old male dog, and a 12-year-old male cat were treated for skin tumors called mast cell tumors on their heads using a type of radiation therapy. The dogs received additional medication to help with the treatment. All three pets that completed the radiation therapy showed complete tumor response, meaning the tumors disappeared. The pets experienced only mild side effects, and there were no harmful effects on their eyes. This treatment appears to be effective with minimal complications for pets with these types of tumors.
People also search for: dog skin tumor treatment · cat mast cell tumor radiation therapy · side effects of radiation therapy in pets
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report preliminary findings of hypofractionated superficial radiotherapy for treatment of cutaneous mast cell tumors (MCTs) and report the acute and late toxicity associated with its use. ANIMALS: 3 dogs and 1 cat. PROCEDURES: In this retrospective study, medical records from January 2021 through July 2022 were searched for animals that received superficial radiation therapy for MCTs of the head. RESULTS: 4 patients with 5 MCTs were included. Three of the masses were periocular and required protection of the globe with a tungsten eye shield. One patient did not complete the intended protocol due to diffuse metastatic spread noted after the second fraction. Of the 3 patients that completed their protocol, 100% had a complete response. Two canine patients were treated adjunctively with toceranib. Two of the 4 patients experienced grade 1 acute veterinary radiation therapy oncology group (VRTOG) toxicity, and the 3 patients that completed their protocol experienced grade 1 late VRTOG toxicity. No radiation effects were documented to the cornea or lens in any patient. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Superficial radiation therapy was effective in our limited study population, and patients experienced minimal side effects for treatment of cutaneous MCTs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37116878/