Pilot study to determine the feasibility of radiation therapy for dogs with right atrial masses and hemorrhagic pericardial effusion.

Objectives: To determine the short-term safety and biologic activity of radiation therapy (RT) for presumptive cardiac hemangiosarcoma in pet dogs.

Animals: Six dogs with echocardiographic evidence of a right atrial/auricular mass, and hemorrhagic pericardial effusion, were enrolled in a prospective, single-arm clinical trial.

Methods: A single fraction of 12 Gy was delivered using conformal external beam irradiation.

Misadministration of radiation therapy in veterinary medicine: a case report and literature review.

Recent technical advancements in radiation therapy have allowed for improved targeting of tumours and sparing nearby normal tissues, while simultaneously decreasing the risk for medical errors by incorporating additional safety checks into electronic medical record keeping systems. The benefits of these new technologies, however, depends on their proper integration and use in the oncology clinic. Despite the advancement of technology for treatment delivery and medical record keeping, misadministration errors have a significant impact on patient care in veterinary oncology.

Doxorubicin chemotherapy for presumptive cardiac hemangiosarcoma in dogs.

Sixty-four dogs were treated with single-agent doxorubicin (DOX) for presumptive cardiac hemangiosarcoma (cHSA). The objective response rate (CR + PR) was 41%, and the biologic response rate (CR + PR + SD), or clinical benefit, was 68%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) for treated dogs was 66 days.