The Treatment of Malignant Tumours of Bone in the Dog by Intra-Arterial Injection or Perfusion of Epodyl (Triethyleneglycol Diglycidyl Ether)

Abstract

OSTEOSARCOMIA is the most common tumour of bone in the dog although chondrosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, haemangiosarcoma and other less common primary or metastatic tumours of bone also occur. Brodey, Saver and Medway (1963) found that of 50,750 dogs examined between 1952 and 1962 at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, 152 had bone sarcomas whereas during this same period only 2 dogs with benign bone tumours were observed.Osteosarcoma is more common in the large breeds and it appears that the Great Dane and St. Bernard have the greatest predisposition. The origin is common in the distal radius, proximal humerus and distal tibia but rare in the distal humerus and proximal radius. Tumours occur in other long and in flat bones.There is considerable variation in the speed of growth. Some rapidly growing vascular tumours can destroy a large area of bone in 3 weeks whereas other denser, more cartilaginous tumours may develop over a period of months.Amputation of the affected limb in large breeds is rarely performed in Great Britain and no records of survival are available. A large dog has difficulty in balancing after the removal of a forelimb, and often shows over-extension of the opposite carpus. The development of lung metastases is usually rapid so that euthanasia rather than amputation is recommended. Brodey, Saver and Medway (1963) have described the results of amputations carried out in Pennsylvania on 21 dogs. Most dogs did not die naturally but were killed in the terminal stages of the disease with metastases in the lungs and frequently in other sites. Following amputation 10 dogs were dead within 3 months and a further 8 died between 3 and 7 months. Only 3 dogs lived for longer than 10 months. Knight (1963, personal communication) has treated a small number of cases of osteosarcoma by X-irradiation and while some remarkable histological changes were observed there were no cures and the development of lung metastases was not prevented. Silver (1964), who treated osteosarcomas by X-irradiation or the intra-arterial injection of tritiated " Synkavit " obtained disappointing results. Even in cases where there was relief of pain and reduction in tumour size there was recurrence or metastasis necessitating the destruction of the dog.The treatment of spontaneous tumours in dogs with cytotoxic drugs has been attempted by McCoy, Allison, Crossley and Wannermacher (1956) using MEPA.

Chemotherapy of canine and feline neoplasia*

“…Attempts to treat other solid tumours by chemotherapeutic methods in the dog and cat have been rather limited in the past. Owen (1962Owen ( , 1964) treated a number of cases of osteosarcoma and other solid tumours by using intra-arterial perfusion with ethoglucid, and obtained remissions of up to 5 months in some cases. The same author (Owen, 1972) also described the use of triethylene thiophosphoramide (Thio TEPA) as a 0.3:; solution instilled into the bladder for the treatment of transitional cell carcinoma.…”