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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Alpaca with maxillary fibrosarcoma treated by surgery and radiation

By Higginbotham, Mary Lynn et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2015·Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Treatment of a maxillary fibrosarcoma in an adult alpaca.

Plain-English summary

A 5-year-old male alpaca was brought in because of a recurring mass on the right side of his mouth. After examining the mass and its effects on the surrounding bone, the vet performed surgery to remove part of the jaw where the tumor was located. Following surgery, the alpaca received radiation therapy to help prevent the tumor from coming back. Thankfully, follow-up scans showed no signs of the tumor returning, and the alpaca continued to have a good quality of life for over two years after treatment.

People also search for: alpaca mouth tumor treatment · fibrosarcoma in alpacas · radiation therapy for alpaca cancer

Abstract

CASE DESCRIPTION: An approximately 5-year-old sexually intact male alpaca was evaluated because of a right-sided maxillary mass that had recurred after previous surgical debulking. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Clinical, radiographic, and CT examination revealed an approximately 1.5-cm-diameter soft tissue mass associated with expansile osteolysis of the maxillary alveolar bone, beginning at the level of the right maxillary third premolar tooth extending caudally to the level of the rostral roots of the second molar tooth. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Right partial maxillectomy was performed, and histologic examination revealed an incompletely excised fibrosarcoma with osseous metaplasia. External beam radiation therapy to the tumor bed was initiated 1 month after surgery. Computerized planning was performed, and a total radiation dose of 48 Gy was prescribed in eleven 4.4-Gy fractions. Follow-up CT evaluations 6 and 58 weeks after radiation therapy was completed revealed no evidence of tumor recurrence. No clinical evidence of tumor recurrence was detected through 110 weeks after radiation therapy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The oral fibrosarcoma in the alpaca described here was successfully treated with surgical excision and adjuvant radiation therapy, resulting in excellent quality of life of the treated animal.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25719850/