Estudo clínico de osteossarcoma canino / Clinical study of canine osteosarcoma

ABSTRACT

The canine osteosarcoma is characterized by being an aggressive bone tumor that affects mainly large dogs, middle-aged and male, accounting for 80-85% of bone tumors and 5-6% of all tumors. The risk of developing this tumor is, on average, 125 times greater in dogs weighing over 36 kg than in dogs weighing less than 9 kg. This cancer develops more frequently in the appendicular skeleton (75%), preferably the bones of the forelimbs, where approximately 60% of body weight are sustained. The canine osteosarcoma is very similar to human, in which the metaphyseal region of long bones is the most affected, causing lameness and swelling of the affected limb. The diagnosis is made from epidemiological data, history of the animal, X-rays and laboratory tests such as cytology fine-needle aspiration (FNAC) and measurement of the enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The staging of the disease becomes a major method for the treatment, whereas primary bone tumors are highly complex and end up interfering with the animal organism in whole. The objective of this study is to report a clinical study of 12 dogs with osteosarcoma, showing the procedures performed from diagnosis to treatment.