How effective is radiation therapy for anal gland tumors?

Canine anal gland tumors are locally invasive can lead to metastasize to the loco-regional pelvic lymph nodes.

Radiation therapy is considered a good method for control, especially when the tumors are considered inoperable.

Researchers describes 13 dogs with macroscopic anal gland carcinoma that were irradiated with imaging-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy with a hypofractionated curative protocol of 12 × 3,8 Gy.

Ten of the 13 dogs had advanced tumor diseases (stage 3a or 3b). Adverse reaction to radiation were considered mild to moderate and the mean study time was 572 days.

Disease progression was suspected in 7/13 dogs during the study period: regional progression occurred in 3 dogs (23 %) and distant metastases in 4 dogs (31 %).

Median progression-free survival was 480 days and median survival was 597 days.

One year after treatment, 76,9 % of the dogs were still alive.

The likelihood of tumor progression was lower with increasing age, otherwise none of the examined tumor or patient factors showed a prognostic influence on progression or survival time.

Read more by clicking on the link below:

Radiation therapy for the treatment of macroscopic canine anal gland tumors - a retrospective study