Since 2024, in dogs with osteosarcoma in which limb amputation cannot be performed, I have been using a new pathway of combined treatment: cementoplasty, palliative radiotherapy and drugs that inhibit the destruction of bone tissue.
Standard treatment of osteosarcoma in dogs
The basic treatment of choice for osteosarcoma of the long bones in dogs is amputation of the affected limb, which immediately eliminates severe cancer pain, together with adjuvant chemotherapy (most often with carboplatin or doxorubicin), aimed at delaying the development of micrometastases.
In dogs that are not suitable for amputation, limb-sparing procedures or palliative treatment are used, including radiotherapy, administration of bisphosphonates and multimodal pain management.
The prognosis is always guarded to poor because of the highly aggressive nature of the tumour. Median survival after amputation alone is 4–5 months, while implementing a full protocol with chemotherapy extends this to about 10–12 months (with around 20% of patients surviving more than two years).
When amputation is not possible – combined treatment
In 2024 I decided to use a new treatment pathway in dogs in which amputation cannot be performed. In such patients we use combined treatment:
- Cementoplasty – a malleable bone-like material is placed in the bone defects caused by the tumour, which is intended to protect the bone from a pathological fracture.
- Palliative radiotherapy of the area affected by the tumour (4 fractions of 8 Gy, total dose 32 Gy) – reduces tumour infiltration and inhibits its progression, reduces pain and inflammation, and markedly improves the patients’ clinical condition.
- Bisphosphonates – drugs that inhibit the destruction of bone tissue, which patients receive in addition.
Cementoplasty reduces the risk of a pathological fracture but does not eliminate it completely. Whether a dog is suitable for this treatment is determined by an oncology consultation and imaging studies.
I hope to be able to publish the results of these studies soon.