Evaluation of weight loss in canine cancer bearing patients undergoing radiation therapy

Abstract

Critical weight loss, as defined by ≥5% decrease in body weight, has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality in human patients with cancers of the head and neck. Weight loss has anecdotally been reported to occur frequently in veterinary patients undergoing radiation therapy and is hypothesized to be more severe in patients with cancers of the head and neck, along with those hospitalized during radiation therapy. The primary objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the occurrence of critical weight loss in canine cancer bearing patients undergoing either definitive or palliative radiation protocols and to determine if weight changes were associated with radiation toxicity, tumour location or patient hospitalization status.Data from 47 dogs who underwent definitive and 43 dogs who underwent palliative radiation protocols at the University of Tennessee were included for analysis. Dogs were categorized based on tumour location (head/neck or other), hospitalization status (boarded or non-boarded) and radiation toxicity score. Weight recorded at the start of treatment, midway through treatment and at the final treatment was used for analysis. No significant differences were found in regard to weight change over time, location or hospitalization status when evaluated for both protocols. Overall, 5/90 dogs (5.5%) lost 5% or more of their body weight during therapy, and 7/90 dogs (7.7%) gained 5% or more of their body weight. The results of the current study suggest that critical weight loss occurs in a small percentage of canine patients undergoing radiation therapy, contrary to what is often anecdotally reported. K E Y W O R D Scancer, canine, radiation therapy, weight loss

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“…Weight loss in the EBRT group intensified from the 16th day after treatment, although the animals lost less weight than the control group. Radiotherapy has previously been shown to be associated with side effects such as loss of appetite, fatigue and, diarrhoea that can lead to weight loss [ 17 , 46 ]. In clinical studies, it has been observed that weight loss due to radiotherapy can continue for up to 1 month after treatment, which could explain the continuation of the weight loss in our study [ 17 , 47 ].…”

Reducing margins for abdominopelvic tumours in dogs: Impact on dose‐coverage and normal tissue complication probability

“…(c) Changes in body contour were not considered. Marked weight loss during radiation therapy associated with possible body contour changes was rare according to a recent study 39 . However, body contour changes are still possible despite stable weight and can for example happen in the region of movable skin folds in the inguinal and/or abdomen region according to personal experience.…”