Doxorubicin and carboplatin trials in Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) with Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease.

The devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) is having a devastating impact on Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) (devils) in the wild. Only a single study has been published regarding treatment of DFTD, where vincristine was not found to be an effective chemotherapeutic agent. In the current study, devils were treated with escalating dosages of carboplatin (8-26 mg/kg) (n = 13) and doxorubicin (0.75-1.0 mg/kg) (n = 5). Dosages for carboplatin (20 mg/kg) and doxorubicin (1.0 mg/kg) were identified as maximally tolerated dosages. Limiting toxicities for carboplatin were anorexia and weight loss (gastrointestinal signs) and azotemia. Limiting toxicities for doxorubicin were neutropenia, anorexia and weight loss. None of the treated devils responded to either drug, suggesting that, based on the clonality of this tumour, it is unlikely that either drug individually or in combination would be effective treatments for DFTD. These results, however, provide valuable information for practitioners who may choose to treat other neoplastic diseases in the devil or other marsupials. In addition, these results show that even drugs that are metabolized and excreted in the same manner can be tolerated to different degrees by the same species.

Vincristine chemotherapy trials and pharmacokinetics in tasmanian devils with tasmanian devil facial tumor disease.

Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) is a transmissible cancer threatening to cause the extinction of Tasmanian Devils in the wild. The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility of the DFTD to vincristine. Escalating dosage rates of vincristine (0.05 to 0.136 mg/kg) were given to Tasmanian devils in the early stages of DFTD (n = 8). None of these dosage rates impacted the outcome of the disease. A dosage rate of 0.105 mg/kg, a rate significantly higher than that given in humans or domestic animals, was found to the highest dosage rate that could be administered safely. Signs of toxicity included anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea and neutropenia. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that, as with other species, there was a rapid drop in blood concentration following a rapid intravenous infusion with a high volume of distribution (1.96 L/kg) and a relatively long elimination half life (11 h). Plasma clearance (1.8 ml/min/kg) was slower in the Tasmanian devil than in humans, suggesting that pharmacodynamics and not pharmacokinetics explain the Tasmanian devil's ability to tolerate high dosage rates of vincristine. While providing base-line data for the use of vincristine in Tasmanian devils and possibly other marsupials with vincristine susceptible cancers, these findings strongly suggest that vincristine will not be effective in the treatment of DFTD.