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Outcome and complications in dogs with appendicular primary bone tumors treated with stereotactic radiotherapy and concurrent surgical stabilization
Author(s) -
Boston Sarah E.,
Vinayak Arathi,
Lu Xiaomin,
Larue Susan,
Bacon Nicholas J.,
Bleedorn Jason A.,
Souza Carlos H. M.,
Ehrhart Nicole P.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
veterinary surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1532-950X
pISSN - 0161-3499
DOI - 10.1111/vsu.12669
Subject(s) - medicine , complication , appendicular skeleton , surgery , pathological , medical record , radiation therapy , retrospective cohort study , radiology , anatomy
Objective To document the outcome of dogs with appendicular primary bone tumors treated with stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) and concurrent stabilization. Study design Multi‐institutional retrospective case series. Animals Eighteen dogs with presumptive or definitive diagnosis of appendicular osteosarcoma. Methods Medical records of dogs with appendicular primary bone tumors treated with SRT and stabilization were reviewed for signalment, preoperative staging and diagnostics, radiation dose, stabilization method, and outcome. Results The distal radius was affected in 13/18 cases. Osteosarcoma or sarcoma was confirmed cytologically or histologically in 15/18 cases. Seven dogs were diagnosed with a pathological fracture at the time of treatment, and 11 were considered at high risk for pathological fracture. Dogs received a single dose (n = 5) or 3 doses (n = 13) of SRT. Surgical stabilization was performed under the same anesthetic event as the final dose of SRT in 10 dogs. Stabilization was achieved with a bone plate (n = 15) or interlocking nail (n = 3). Seventeen dogs received adjuvant chemotherapy. Complications occurred in 16/17 dogs, 15/17 of those being considered major complications. Four dogs experienced more than one complication. Infection was the most common complication, diagnosed in 15/17 cases, and considered as a major complication in 13/15 cases. Postoperative fracture was recorded as a major complication in 3 cases. Nine dogs were amputated at a median of 152 days. The median survival time was 344 days. Conclusion Treatment of bone tumors with SRT and concurrent stabilization was associated with a prohibitively high complication rate in dogs. Alternative methods for limb salvage should be considered for dogs at risk for pathologic fracture.