Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Zoledronic acid for the treatment of appendicular osteosarcoma in a dog.
- Journal:
- The Journal of small animal practice
- Year:
- 2009
- Authors:
- Spugnini, E P et al.
- Affiliation:
- S.A.F.U. Department (Stabilimento Allevatore · Italy
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old male Corso dog was brought to the vet because he was limping and had a large growth on his right front leg. After examining him, the vet found a mass that was diagnosed as appendicular osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Since the cancer had not spread to other parts of his body, the owners chose to treat him with a medication called zoledronic acid, given through an infusion every 28 days. This treatment helped keep the tumor stable for 16 months and significantly improved his limping. Unfortunately, the dog later developed a new mass in a lymph node, which was found to be cancer that had spread, leading to the difficult decision to euthanize him. Overall, the treatment with zoledronic acid provided good relief and may have helped slow the cancer's progress.
Abstract
A 10-year-old male intact Corso dog was referred for lameness and for a large neoplasm affecting the right foreleg. Physical examination of the patient revealed a 5 x 5 x 3 cm mass in the distal right foreleg. Histopathology was consistent with a diagnosis of appendicular osteosarcoma. The staging process found no evidence of metastasis. Because of the large size of the patient, the owners elected to treat their dog with antiresorptive therapy. The patient was treated with an infusion of zoledronic acid every 28 days. The tumour remained stable for 16 months and the lameness of the dog greatly improved. At that time, the patient returned for evaluation of a large rapidly growing prescapular mass. Biopsy confirmed lymph node metastasis and the dog was euthanased. Zoledronic acid showed remarkable palliation in our patient and possibly anti-tumour action and warrants further investigation.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18793253/