Effects of palliative radiation therapy on nonsplenic hemangiosarcoma in dogs.

Medical records for 20 dogs with histologically confirmed nonsplenic hemangiosarcomas treated with palliative radiation therapy were reviewed to evaluate factors influencing tumor response and survival time. The Kaplan-Meier median survival time of dogs that received palliative radiation therapy was 95 days (range 6 to 500 days). Subjective reduction in tumor size was seen in 14 dogs, with four complete responses. Tumor location was a significant univariate prognostic factor for survival, and dogs with retroperitoneal masses had longer survival times.

Incidence and prognostic importance of lymph node metastases in dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma: 228 cases (1986-2003).

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of regional lymph node metastasis in dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma and determine whether regional lymph node metastasis was associated with shortened disease-free interval or survival time. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 228 dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma in which regional lymph nodes were examined histologically at the time of limb amputation. PROCEDURE: Information collected from the medical records included signalment; affected site; initial serum alkaline phosphatase activity; whether treatment involved adjuvant chemotherapy and, if so, chemotherapeutic agents administered and number of treatments; disease-free interval; and survival time. RESULTS: 10 (4.4%) dogs had histologic evidence of regional lymph node metastasis at the time of amputation. Median disease-free interval for dogs without regional lymph node metastasis (238 days; range, 0 to 1,067 days) was significantly longer than median disease-free interval for dogs with regional lymph node metastasis (48 days; range, 2 to 269 days). Median survival time for dogs without lymph node metastasis (318 days; range, 20 to 1,711 days) was significantly longer than median survival time for dogs with lymph node metastasis (59 days; range, 19 to 365 days). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that regional lymph node metastasis is rare in dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma but that dogs with lymph node metastasis have a poorer prognosis than do dogs without.