Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Use of intralesional cisplatin to successfully treat distal limb haemangiosarcoma in a foal.
- Journal:
- Australian veterinary journal
- Year:
- 2023
- Authors:
- Norton, A M et al.
- Affiliation:
- Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital · Australia
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 4-month-old grey warmblood colt was found to have a firm, non-painful lump on his leg, which was diagnosed as haemangiosarcoma, a type of cancer that is rare in horses. After the tumor came back twice following surgery, the veterinarians decided to treat it with a special chemotherapy drug called cisplatin, injecting it directly into the tumor without removing it first. They gave this treatment three times over several months. Remarkably, four years later, the colt was still healthy and free of the cancer. This case highlights the difficulties in treating this type of cancer in young horses but shows that intralesional cisplatin can be an effective option.
Abstract
A 4-month old, 200 kg, grey warmblood colt presented for a firm, non painful mass on the distal medial aspect of the left third metatarsus. Excisional biopsy revealed a diagnosis of haemangiosarcoma. Equine haemangiosarcoma is uncommon and only limited reports of successful treatment are available. The prognosis for survival is therefore considered to be poor. After two separate incidences of recurrence with incomplete excision of the tumour, intralesional treatment with cisplatin without excision or debulking was performed on three separate occasions. Intralesional cisplatin injection was performed at monthly intervals for three treatments. Four years post treatment with cisplatin, the horse remained in remission. This case report describes the diagnostic and treatment challenges for successful treatment of a primary haemangiosarcoma on the distal limb of a warmblood foal using intralesional cisplatin chemotherapy.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37291800/