Megavoltage Radiotherapy for the Treatment of Degenerative Joint Disease in Dogs: Results of a Preliminary Experience in an Italian Radiotherapy Centre

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of a low-dose radiotherapy treatment in dogs with osteoarthritis (OA). Inclusion criteria were dogs affected by OA of one or multiple joints, with lameness, previously treated with medical therapy and referred for radiotherapy because of chronic unresponsive pain. After suspension of medical therapy, dogs underwent external beam radiotherapy treatments delivered in three fractions of 2 Gy each. Four of these dogs had one (three dogs) to four (one dog) additional courses of radiation. Medical records were reviewed and follow-up information was collected by clinical recheck and owners interview. Twenty-five dogs matched the inclusion criteria; among them, 21 had one course of RT and 4 underwent multiple treatments, respectively 218, 266, 39, and 1,384 days after the first treatment. Clinical improvement was observed in 92% of patients with median benefit duration of 356 days after the first treatment, and 418 days after the second treatment. No side effects were recorded. In this group of patients, radiotherapy was effective, well tolerated, and repeatable, leading to an improvement of quality of life in dogs with degenerative joint disease unresponsive to medical treatments.

Application across species of a one health approach to liquid sample handling for respiratory based -omics analysis

“…Horses were considered free of inflammatory airway disorders based on the following DCC cut off values: neutrophils < 20% 4 , 5 .…”

“…Racehorses commonly develop airway inflammation and/or exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage during training, with prevalence rates as high as 70–80% and 100% respectively, resulting in a significant impact on animal welfare and the racehorse industry 1 – 3 . Cytological analysis of tracheal wash (TW) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) is the most commonly applied method of assessing lower respiratory tract health of the horse and helps to guide therapy 4 , 5 . The diagnostic application of this technique includes the identification of common equine airway disorders of the horse, including equine asthma and exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage 6 , 7 .…”

Treatment response in dogs with naturally occurring grade 3 elbow osteoarthritis following intra-articular injection of 117mSn (tin) colloid

“…The ionizing radiation results in macrophage apoptosis and ablation of inflammatory cytokines and growth factors within the synovium [19], reducing synovial hypertrophy, joint inflammation, and pain. Earlier studies of human and canine subjects diagnosed with chronic synovitis or OA revealed that radiation therapy is therapeutically effective and associated with favorable clinical outcomes over a 1-year period [2,22,23].…”

The Use of 117mSn&nbsp;(Tin) Colloid for Treatment of Naturally Occurring Grade 3 Elbow Osteoarthritis in Client Dogs

“…The ionizing radiation emission causes macrophage apoptosis and ablation of in ammatory cytokines and growth factors within the joint lining synovium. 17 Studies of both human and canid subjects diagnosed with chronic synovitis (human) 18 or OA (canine) 19 revealed that radiation therapy is an effective therapy and was associated with a favorable clinical outcome over a period of one year.…”