Quality of Life Measurement in Prospective Studies of Cancer Treatments in Dogs and Cats

Giuffrida, Michelle A.; Kerrigan, Simon

doi:10.1111/jvim.12460

Cited by 39 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…The veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse should assess this and train and support caregivers in quality of life assessment. Several quality of life questionnaires for veterinary patients have been published and assessed and can be used to make objective and ongoing assessments of a patient's performance status (Wiseman-Orr and others 2004, Yazbek and Fantoni 2005, Lynch and others 2011, Crawford and others 2012, Iliopoulou and others 2013, Giuffrida and Kerrigan 2014). …”

Section: Quality Of Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

Palliative care in small animal oncology

Mason¹

2016

In Practice

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Cancer is a common diagnosis in companion animals and, increasingly, clients choose to pursue treatment for their pets. Veterinary oncology is a rapidly growing field and diagnostic and treatment options for animals with cancer are constantly improving and becoming more widely available. Treatment outcomes can be good, but in many cases definitive treatment is not an option and palliative treatment is necessary. This article explores the palliative care of dogs and cats that have been diagnosed with cancer and summarises the various treatment options, with a particular focus on quality of life and the role of communication in the decision-making process.

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Section: Quality Of Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

Palliative care in small animal oncology

Mason¹

2016

In Practice

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“…Dennoch weisen nur 8 von 144 zwischen 2008 und 2013 publizierten prospektiven Studien zur Tumortherapie bei Hunden und Katzen die LQ aus [31]. Verlässli-che, allgemein anerkannte und validierte Methoden zur Erfassung der LQ bei Hund und Katze unter Krebstherapien fehlen jedoch bisher [31].…”

Section: Adjuvante Misteltherapieunclassified

“…Neben der Verringerung des Sterberisikos als Therapieziel spielt, wie in der Humanmedizin, die innerhalb der Therapiezeit vorhandene LQ auch in der Veterinärmedizin eine zunehmend größere Rolle [31]. Entsprechende Studiendaten sind aber immer noch rar.…”

Section: Lebensqualität Und Nebenwirkungenunclassified

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Postoperative adjuvante Therapie mit einem Mistelextrakt (Viscum album ssp. album) bei Hündinnen mit Mammatumoren

et al. 2017

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Keywords Canine mammary tumor · Mistletoe therapy · Viscum album · Adjuvant treatment · Veterinary medicine · Quality of life · Oncology Summary Postsurgical Adjuvant Treatment with Mistletoe Extract (Viscum album ssp. album) in Canine Mammary TumorsBackground: The high incidence rate and malignancy of canine mammary tumors (CMTs) and their treatment pose a challenge in veterinary practice. Postsurgical therapy is required. Currently, there is no established standardized postsurgical adjuvant therapy and such a therapy is not expected for the near future. Maintaining or increasing the dogs' quality of life (QL) and their tolerance of the treatment are of importance to the pet owner. Cancer treatment by using extracts of European mistletoe (Viscum album L.; VAE) is well introduced in human medicine. Besides tumor baseline therapy using radiation or chemotherapy, treatment with VAE is one of the most common adjuvant methods among complementary and alternative therapies. Also in veterinary oncology, Viscum preparations have been used successfully for many years in various species. A number of studies underlined the positive effects of mistletoe treatment in animals. Methods: In the present study, the effects and benefits of postsurgical adjuvant therapy with VAE in canine mammary adenocarcinomas were investigated. Additionally, effects on QL were analyzed. For this purpose, a total of 56 female dogs were enrolled in the study. Of these, 33 dogs served as retrospective control group whereas 23 dogs were assigned as prospective VAE treatment group. The latter started VAE after surgical tumor excision. Results: The median survival time (MST) for all involved dogs (n = 56) was 32 months (interquartile range 13-51 months). For the control group, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed survival of 24 (73%), 20 (61%), 15 (45%), and 5 dogs (12%) after 12, 24, 36, and 48 months, respectively. In the Viscum group, survival was 19 (83%), 14 (61%), 11 (48%), and 1 dog (4%), respectively. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis resulted in a lower death risk after VAE treatment (hazard ratio (HR) 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22-1.26), which was not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.151). An also not significant tendency of decrease in tumor-related death risk to 25% (HR 0.251, 95% CI 0.056-1.122; p = 0.07) was observed for the treatment group. Conclusions: The results indicate a tendency of lower tumor-related death risk after postsurgical adjuvant VAE therapy in female dogs suffering from CMTs. The QL was stable during the entire observation period and the therapy was well tolerated by the patients. (HR 0,251,122). Schlussfolgerungen: Es kann eine Tendenz zur Senkung des tumorbedingten Sterberisikos der VAEGruppe bei guter Verträglichkeit der Therapie angenommen werden. Die LQ der Tiere blieb über die gesamte Beobachtungszeit auf hohem Niveau stabil.

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“…A similar scenario may exist within veterinary medicine but this has not been investigated to date. Interestingly, Giuffrida and Kerrigan [17] report that the owners of terminally ill pets value the quality of life of their pet over extended survival times. This suggests that an open and transparent approach from the veterinary team when discussing with the owner the risks, benefits, impact of the treatment involved and the outcome with consideration of quality of life, is essential to support informed consent for subsequent treatment protocols or if they decide to opt for euthanasia [18,19,20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Which Influence Owners When Deciding to Use Chemotherapy in Terminally Ill Pets

Williams

Phillips

Byrd

2017

Animals

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Simple SummaryCancer is as common amongst pets as it in humans. Chemotherapy can be integrated into treatment regimes for terminally ill pets to attempt to shrink tumours to extend life expectancy, but it does not cure cancer and it can have negative side effects including vomiting, depression and behavioral changes. To date, little research has been undertaken to explore owners’ decisions whether or not to treat their animals with chemotherapy. Seventy-eight dog and cat owners completed an online questionnaire to determine if they would opt for chemotherapy if their pet was diagnosed with cancer, and asked how they thought their pet’s quality of life would be affected. Fifty-eight percent of respondents would not use chemotherapy largely due to their previous experience of it. Seventy-two percent over estimated pet survival time post chemotherapy, with most people believing it would lead to remission or a cure. Owners expected their pets to be less active, sleep more and play less, reducing their quality of life. Common side effects associated with chemotherapy were not rated as acceptable. The results suggest pet owners would benefit from an increased understanding of the positive and negative impacts of chemotherapy when initially discussing treatment options with the veterinary team.AbstractChemotherapy is a commonly integrated treatment option within human and animal oncology regimes. Limited research has investigated pet owners’ treatment decision-making in animals diagnosed with malignant neoplasia. Dog and cat owners were asked to complete an online questionnaire to elucidate factors which are key to the decision making process. Seventy-eight respondents completed the questionnaire in full. Fifty-eight percent of pet owners would not elect to treat pets with chemotherapy due to the negative impact of the associated side effects. Seventy-two percent of respondents over estimated pet survival time post chemotherapy, indicating a general perception that it would lead to remission or a cure. Vomiting was considered an acceptable side effect but inappetence, weight loss and depression were considered unacceptable. Owners did expect animals’ to be less active, sleep more and play less, but common side effects were not rated as acceptable despite the potential benefits of chemotherapy. Based on the results, veterinary teams involved with oncology consultations should establish if clients have prior experience of cancer treatments and their expectations of survival time. Quality of life assessments should also be implemented during initial oncology consultations and conducted regularly during chemotherapy courses to inform client decision making and to safe guard animal welfare.

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Quality of Life Measurement in Prospective Studies of Cancer Treatments in Dogs and Cats

Cited by 39 publications

References 35 publications

Palliative care in small animal oncology

Palliative care in small animal oncology

Postoperative adjuvante Therapie mit einem Mistelextrakt (Viscum album ssp. album) bei Hündinnen mit Mammatumoren

Factors Which Influence Owners When Deciding to Use Chemotherapy in Terminally Ill Pets

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