OUTCOME OF DOGS WITH INTRANASAL LYMPHOMA TREATED WITH VARIOUS RADIATION AND CHEMOTHERAPY PROTOCOLS: 24 CASES

Review of Canine Lymphoma Treated with Chemotherapy-Outcomes and Prognostic Factors

While canine lymphoma is a relatively common and important disease seen by veterinarians, there are limited comprehensive reviews of the literature regarding the remission and survival times following chemotherapy, and the associated prognostic factors. This comprehensive thematic review covers the available veterinary literature covering treatment outcomes and identified prognostic factors. A lack of standardised approaches to evaluate and report the outcomes was identified, including factors that would alter the duration of responses by weeks, or occasionally months. After publication of the suggested reporting criteria, this has improved but is still not uniformly applied. The prognostic factors included for evaluation varied from as few as three to seventeen, with over 50 studies using only univariate analysis. Individual papers reported much longer outcomes than others, but assessing the outcomes overall, there has been minimal change over the last 40 years. This supports the belief that novel approaches for lymphoma therapy will be required to substantively improve outcomes.

Treatment of nasal tumours in dogs: a review

Nasal tumours are common neoplasms in dogs and often represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to their confined location within the nasal cavities. The main goal of this review is to extract the most relevant information from a wide and often confusing evidence-based medicine on the treatment of canine nasal tumours and conclude with current recommendations. This report highlights the different therapeutic modalities available and describes their technical aspects, interests and limitations. Megavoltage radiotherapy, as the most recent treatment and standard of care, is particularly examined, especially the different types of radiotherapy units, the main protocols used and their advantages and limits. Newer and non-conventional treatments are also discussed.

Hydropulsion as Palliative, Long-Term, Last-Resort Treatment of Nasal Carcinoma in a Dog and a Cat

An 8 yr old spayed female domestic shorthair and an 8 yr old neutered male Polish Lowland sheepdog were evaluated for a 3 wk history of sneezing and a 5 day history of left epistaxis, respectively. In both cases, computed tomography revealed a voluminous nasal mass, which was later histologically identified as carcinoma, without cribriform plate involvement. Nasal hydropulsion was performed in both animals in sternal recumbency under general anesthesia. A Poole suction tip was inserted into the orad esophageal opening and adequacy of the endotracheal tube cuff inflation was checked. Sterile saline was forcefully infused into the obstructed nasal cavity to dislodge the tumor. Both patients had temporary resolution of clinical signs. Nasal hydropulsion was repeated as a palliative last-resort treatment at each clinical relapse (four times in both animals over ≥1 yr), allowing long-term survival. Minor complications included a self-limiting retrobulbar and oropharyngeal swelling in the cat and self-limiting epistaxis in both animals. Although this technique is not intended to represent an equivalent alternative to radiation or surgical therapies, nasal hydropulsion may represent an appropriate palliative, last-resort treatment in case of obstructive nasal tumors in dogs and cats, when radiation therapy or surgery is not affordable, available, or desired.

Imaging in Non-neurologic Oncologic Treatment Planning of the Head and Neck

Imaging is critical for the diagnosis and staging of veterinary oncology patients. Although cytology or biopsy is generally required for diagnosis, imaging characteristics inform the likelihood of a cancer diagnosis, can result in a prioritized list of differentials that guide further staging tests, and assist in the planning of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy options. Advanced imaging, such as CT and MRI, can better define the extent of disease for surgical and radiation planning for head and neck cancer cases in particular. Additionally, new imaging technologies are continually being translated into veterinary fields, and they may provide more options for cancer patients as they become more widely available.