Journal Article

Definitive-intent uniform megavoltage fractioned radiotherapy protocol for presumed canine intracranial gliomas: retrospective analysis of survival and prognostic factors in 38 cases (2013–2019)

De Fornel, P., Delisle, F., Thibaud, J. L., Debreuque, M., David, I., Ducerveau, M. N., Devauchelle, P.

2020

Overview

Background Radiotherapy (RT) is currently considered the treatment of choice for presumed canine intracranial gliomas. However, variable therapeutic responses are described, due to heterogeneous populations and different radiation methods or protocols. Only one study dedicated to intracranial suspected glioma highlighted prognostic criteria. Determination or confirmation of specific clinical and imaging prognostic factors may guide the therapeutic management of these tumours. The objectives were to provide data on long-term clinical outcome (including quality of life, QoL) and to determine specific prognostic factors associated with survival time. We report a single-institution retrospective study, including all dogs with suspected symptomatic primary solitary intracranial glioma, treated with a complete uniform fractionated megavoltage radiation protocol of 15x3Gy over 5 weeks, between January 2013 and February 2019. Thirty-eight client-owned dogs were included. Medical records were retrospectively evaluated for median overall survival time (MST), clinical and imaging responses. Prognostic factors on survival were researched in terms of signalment, clinical presentation, tumour imaging characteristics and response following RT. Finally, the RT’s impact on the dogs’ clinical signs and Qol were evaluated by the owners. Results The disease-specific MST was 698 days (95% CI: 598–1135). Survival at 1 and 2 years were respectively 74.2 ± 7.4% and 49.0 ± 9.8%. Initial clinical signs were related to survival, as well as tumour characteristics such as cystic-pattern, mass effect and Tumour/Brain volume ratio. No significant adverse effect or radiotoxicity was observed. Conclusions RT appears as a safe and effective treatment for canine intracranial gliomas, allowing long-term tumour control, improvement of life’s quality and management of associated clinical signs. The initial clinical signs and MRI characteristics (Tumour/Brain volume ratio, cyst-like lesion and mass effect) may help predict the prognosis.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: 3D-Conformal radiotherapy / adverse effects / Animal biology / Animals / Anticonvulsants / Applications / Ataxia / brain / Brain cancer / Brain Neoplasms - mortality / Brain Neoplasms - radiotherapy / Brain Neoplasms - veterinary / Brain tumors / Brain tumour / Care and treatment / Cell division / Chemotherapy / Dog diseases / Dog Diseases - radiotherapy / Dogs / Dose Fractionation, Radiation / Female / Fractionated radiotherapy / Glioma / Glioma - mortality / Glioma - radiotherapy / Glioma - veterinary / Gliomas / image analysis / IMRT / Life Sciences / Magnetic resonance imaging / Male / mass / Medical prognosis / Medical records / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Metastasis / MRI / Neuroimaging / Neurology and neuroscience / objectives / Patient outcomes / population / Potassium / Prognosis / protocols / Quality of Life / Radiation therapy / Radiotherapy / Radiotherapy, High-Energy - veterinary / Research Article / Retrospective Studies / signs and symptoms (animals and humans) / Statistics / Survival / Survival Analysis / Transgenics / Treatment Outcome / Tumors / veterinary medicine / Veterinary medicine and animal Health / Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science / Veterinary research / volume / Zoology