Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog bladder cancer treated with gemcitabine and piroxicam effects
By Marconato, Laura et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2011·Veterinary Oncology Service and Research Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Toxic effects and antitumor response of gemcitabine in combination with piroxicam treatment in dogs with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 38 dogs with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder received a combination of gemcitabine and piroxicam to see if it would help them live longer and feel better. While the treatment didn't extend their overall survival compared to other options, many dogs showed improvement in their symptoms. Some experienced mild side effects like gastrointestinal issues and low white blood cell counts, but these were manageable. Overall, the dogs had a median survival time of about 230 days, and the treatment offered a new option with fewer severe side effects.
People also search for: dog bladder cancer treatment · transitional cell carcinoma in dogs · gemcitabine for dogs · piroxicam side effects in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether combined treatment with gemcitabine and piroxicam in dogs with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder is tolerated and provides an advantage in terms of survival time over previously reported treatments. DESIGN: Clinical trial. Animals-38 dogs with TCC of the urinary bladder. PROCEDURES: Dogs were treated with gemcitabine (800 mg/m(2), IV over 30 to 60 minutes, q 7 d) and piroxicam (0.3 mg/kg [0.14 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h). Complete blood cell counts were monitored prior to each gemcitabine treatment. All toxic effects of gemcitabine in dogs were recorded. Primary tumors were ultrasonographically reevaluated after 4 gemcitabine treatments. RESULTS: Dogs received a median of 8 gemcitabine treatments (range, 1 to 38 treatments/dog). In response to treatment, 10 of 38 (26.3%) dogs had grade 1 gastrointestinal tract signs, 11 (28.9%) had grade 2, and 5 (13.2%) had grade 3. Grade 1 neutropenia developed in 6 (15.8%) dogs and grade 2 and 3 neutropenia in 2 (5.3%) dogs each. Thrombocytopenia was rare. All dogs had improvement of clinical signs of disease. Two dogs had a complete tumor response, 8 had a partial response, 19 had stable disease, and 8 had progressive disease. Median survival time with treatment was 230 days. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Administration of gemcitabine in combination with piroxicam treatment failed to provide a longer overall survival time in dogs with TCC of the urinary bladder, compared with previously reported treatment strategies. However, this combination of chemotherapy did provide a new treatment alternative with fewer adverse effects.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21492043/