Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Treating dog mast cell tumors with prednisolone and radiation
By Dobson, J. et al.·Published in Veterinary and Comparative Oncology·2004·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Treatment of canine mast cell tumours with prednisolone and radiotherapy
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 35 dogs with mast cell tumors, which are a type of skin cancer, were treated with a combination of a steroid medication called prednisolone and radiotherapy. Most of the dogs showed a positive response, with 75% of the tumors shrinking after the initial treatment with prednisolone. After completing radiotherapy, 12 dogs had no detectable tumors, while 19 had some reduction in size. The overall success rate was high, but some dogs did experience recurrence or spread of the cancer later on. This treatment approach seems to be effective, especially for tumors located on the limbs.
People also search for: dog mast cell tumor treatment · prednisolone for dog cancer · radiotherapy for dog tumors
Abstract
AbstractThis retrospective study describes 35 dogs with non‐resectable, grade I–III mast cell tumours on the head or limb treated with prednisolone (40 mg m−2daily) for 10–14 days prior to radiotherapy (4 × 800 cGy fractions at 7‐day intervals) from a 4 MV linear accelerator. Prednisolone was continued at a reduced dose rate (20 mg m−2) during radiotherapy and for 2 months or longer afterwards. Eighteen of 24 tumours (75%) decreased in size in response to prednisolone treatment. By 6–8 weeks following radiotherapy, 12 dogs had achieved a complete remission and 19 a partial response. Two tumours remained static and two progressed during the course of treatment. The overall response rate was 88.5%. With long‐term follow‐up, 11 dogs experienced local recurrence (n = 4), metastasis (n = 5) or both (n = 2). The median progression‐free interval was 1031 days (95% CI 277.44–1784.56, Kaplan–Meier), with 1‐ and 2‐year progression‐free rates of 60 and 52%, respectively. Tumour grade did not predict the prognosis for this group of dogs, but tumour location did affect the outcome. Dogs with tumours located on the limb survived longer than those with tumours on the head. The combination of prednisolone with radiotherapy appears to have a useful role in the management of measurable mast cell tumours sited on the head and distal extremities.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5810.2004.00048.x