Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Stereotactic radiotherapy helps dogs with trigeminal nerve tumors
By Hansen, K S et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2016·Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Treatment of MRI-Diagnosed Trigeminal Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors by Stereotactic Radiotherapy in Dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Eight dogs with suspected tumors affecting the trigeminal nerve were treated with a specialized radiation therapy called stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT). This treatment involved delivering radiation in three sessions over a few days, totaling 24 Gray. The dogs showed no immediate side effects from the radiation, and the average survival time after treatment was about 745 days. This suggests that SRT could be a promising option for dogs with these types of tumors, as it seems to be well tolerated and may improve their long-term survival.
People also search for: dog trigeminal nerve tumor treatment · stereotactic radiotherapy for dogs · dog tumor survival rates
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is an emerging technique for treating tumors in animals. OBJECTIVES: To assess the outcome of dogs with suspected intracranial trigeminal nerve peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNST) treated with SRT. ANIMALS: Eight dogs with presumptive PNST. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of dogs identified by searching UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital medical records for dogs treated with SRT for a presumed PNST. Presumptive diagnosis was based on magnetic resonance imaging. SRT was delivered in 3 dose fractions of 8 Gray (Gy) on consecutive days or every other day to a total dose of 24 Gy. RESULTS: Median disease-specific survival was 745 days (range: 99-1375 days, n = 6). No signs of acute adverse effects of radiation treatment were recorded. Late radiation effects versus tumor progression could not be confirmed histopathologically because of few animals undergoing necropsy. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: This study provides preliminary evidence that dogs with PNST benefit from SRT in terms of long-term survival. The treatment appears to be well tolerated and requires fewer anesthetic events for animals compared to full-course radiation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27279132/