OBJECTIVE
To report the outcome of doxorubicin‐based chemotherapy as the sole treatment for dogs with echocardiographically identified right atrial masses and pericardial effusion.
METHODS
A retrospective study of case records of dogs with right atrial masses treated with doxorubicin. Dogs were excluded from the study if they had any type of surgery performed such as pericardiectomy or right atrial mass resection, or if their chemotherapy protocol did not include doxorubicin. The data collected included signalment, history, physical examination findings, diagnostic test results and long‐term survival.
RESULTS
Dogs with right atrial masses and pericardial effusion that received doxorubicin‐based chemotherapy alone had a median survival of 139 · 5 days (range 2 to 302 days). Chemotherapy side effects were frequent but mild.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Doxorubicin‐based chemotherapy alone appears to be a viable treatment option for dogs with echocardiographically identified right atrial masses and pericardial effusion.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.