This study evaluated the effectiveness of Fosamax (alendronate) as a palliative
therapy for osteosarcoma in Irish Wolfhounds.
The purpose of this study was to determine if adding the oral drug Rapamycin into the treatment protocol for dogs with osteosarcoma will be safe and improve efficacy of current standard therapies
for osteosarcoma in dogs.
At this time, they have had success in trials with mice with a drug currently
used for osteosarcoma, a bone cancer.
IWF and IWCA Announce Gift Agreement
for Osteosarcoma Study, New Study on Startle Disease in IWs, Irish Wolfhound Seizure Study Update, IWF Sponsored Health Studies, Reduced - cost Echocardiograms and EKGs, Heart Testing at the IWCA National Specialty
Typically amputation of the affected bone is performed (whenever possible) but due to the high prevalence of spread to the lungs, survival
rates for osteosarcoma are generally poor.
The impact of this study was reduced by the fact that many breeds of dogs were included in the analysis and several other risk
factors for osteosarcoma such as patient height and weight were emphasized.
The authors speculate that fractures of growth plates, common in immature patients, could generate inflammation in a location
typical for osteosarcoma.
Answer: This is, unfortunately, a pretty typical
presentation for osteosarcoma, which is very aggressive but causes them to show very few signs before it is way too late.
Traditional treatments
for osteosarcoma include amputation of the affected limb to address local pain issues, followed by systemic chemotherapy for the treatment of distant metastasis.
The four most common
sites for osteosarcoma are the distal radius, proximal humerus, distal femur, and proximal tibia.
The standard of
care for Osteosarcoma at Auburn is the amputation of the tumor, followed by four rounds of chemotherapy treatment.
In order to be eligible to participate in the trial, dogs must have received no prior treatment of any
kind for Osteosarcoma, must weigh at least 55 pounds, must be operable at the site of the tumor for amputation, and must be otherwise clinically healthy.
Undaunted by the challenges facing him, Dr. Fan devotes his energies toward finding better pain management
strategies for osteosarcoma.
«Elmslie's and Dow's study, «Intravenous Gene Therapy for Canine Pulmonary Metastatic Cancer,» is currently being funded by a foundation grant and covers the study
for osteosarcoma only.
Researchers will explore metabolic drivers of cancer growth and look for new therapy
targets for osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer in dogs.
Morris Animal Foundation is committed to finding new
treatments for osteosarcoma, launching an initiative in 2015 designed to direct research dollars to finding a way to stop metastatic disease.
«We know that the traditional standard - of - care treatments we
use for osteosarcoma are not effective at eliminating all tumor cells because, despite standard of care, the majority of dogs still die from metastatic disease,» said Dr. Nicola Mason, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
In 2000 after an article was published documenting the success of Fosomax (alendronate) as use for palliative therapy
for osteosarcoma in two dogs, the Irish Wolfhound Foundation sponsored a study with Dr. William Dernell, veterinary oncologist from Colorado State University.
Dr. John Morton, of the Golden Gate Animal Clinic (Naples, Florida), shares the signs, symptoms and range of treatments
for Osteosarcoma, the most common canine cancer that accounts for 85 % of all malignancies originating in the skeleton.
As part of Morris Animal Foundation's Osteosarcoma Initiative, Dr. Fan is leading the way in finding new treatment
for osteosarcoma and better ways to manage pain.
Fortunately, most dogs who undergo treatment
for osteosarcoma are lucky enough to have an excellent quality of life!
Morris Animal Foundation is launching a new initiative to explore treatment
for osteosarcoma, the most common bone tumor in dogs.
The standard treatment
for an osteosarcoma is the amputation of the affected limb.