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Biomedical subjects

W M Rand

Publications and source records attributed to W M Rand.

80 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

A comparison of doxorubicin and COP for maintenance of remission in cats with lymphoma.

Thirty-eight cats with lymphoma were treated with vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and prednisone (COP). They were randomized at entry to receive maintenance chemotherapy consisting of either single-agent doxorubicin or continued COP therapy, starting on week 4 of treatment and continuing for 6 months or until relapse. Eighteen cats achieved complete clinical remission after COP induction chemotherapy. The median remission duration for 11 cats continuing to receive COP was 83 days, which was significantly shorter than for 7 cats that received doxorubicin (281 days). Thus, doxorubicin should be considered a well-tolerated and efficacious agent for the maintenance of remission in cats with lymphoma.

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Evaluation of a multidrug chemotherapy protocol (ACOPA II) in dogs with lymphoma.

A chemotherapeutic protocol using cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone, doxorubicin, and L-asparaginase (ACOPA II) was evaluated in dogs with lymphoma. The response rate for 68 dogs treated with ACOPA II (complete remission [CR] 65%, partial remission [PR] 10%) was lower than that for 41 dogs treated with a related protocol previously evaluated (ACOPA I; CR 76%, PR 12%). Initial treatment with doxorubicin and prednisone did not decrease the prevalence or severity of toxicity during induction. The mortality during induction was 22%. The median duration of CR for dogs treated with ACOPA II was 9 months, with 40% still in remission at 1 year and 21% at 2 years. The rate of CR was lower for dogs with signs of illness at presentation (substage b) and for dogs weighing less than 15 kg. Age was negatively correlated with survival time and duration of remission. Dogs with immunoblastic lymphoma had a more favorable prognosis than did those with lymphoblastic lymphoma. Survival times were also longer for dogs in substage a at presentation. Seven dogs in which treatment was discontinued while in remission had comparable remission duration to that achieved by dogs receiving long-term maintenance chemotherapy.

Animals↗

A combination chemotherapy protocol (VELCAP-L) for dogs with lymphoma.

Ninety-eight dogs with lymphoma treated with a 5-drug combination chemotherapy regimen (vincristine, L-asparaginase, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, prednisone [VELCAP-L]) were evaluated for pretreatment characteristics predictive for response and remission duration. The complete remission rate was 69%, with a median remission duration of 55 weeks. Dogs with advanced stage of disease, constitutional signs, dogs that were older, and dogs that were dyspneic were less likely to achieve remission. Once in remission, small dogs and dogs without pretreatment thrombocytopenia were likely to have longer remission duration. Toxicoses were frequent, but rarely fatal, and no predictitive factors were found for a dog developing toxicoses. VELCAP-L is an effective treatment for dogs in stage I-III lymphoma, particularly in young, small animals.

Age Factors↗

Prognostic significance of serum alkaline phosphatase activity in canine appendicular osteosarcoma.

Sixty-one dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma were treated with amputation and chemotherapy of cisplatin and doxorubicin. Serum samples were obtained before and after treatment for determination of total alkaline phosphatase (TALP) activity as well as the activities of the constituent bone (BALP), liver (LALP), and corticosteroid-induced (CALP) isoenzymes. The relationship between alkaline phosphatase activities and survival was examined by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier log rank analysis. Mean activity of TALP, BALP, and LALP decreased significantly after treatment (P < .001). TALP and LALP activities before treatment were significantly correlated with survival (P = .006 and .001, respectively). The correlation between BALP activity before treatment and survival approached significance (P = .054). CALP activity and TALP, BALP, and LALP activities after treatment were not significantly correlated with survival. Dogs with normal pretreatment TALP and BALP activities survived significantly longer than dogs with increased pretreatment activities (P = .001 and .003, respectively). Median survival times for dogs with normal or increased TALP activities before treatment were 12.5 and 5.5 months, respectively; and median survival times for dogs with normal or increased BALP activities before treatment were 16.6 and 9.5 months, respectively. In the design of future clinical trials involving dogs with osteosarcoma, consideration should be given to stratifying the randomization according to alkaline phosphatase activity. In addition, alkaline phosphatase activity should be a factor considered by clinicians attempting to tailor the aggressiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy to the needs of individual patients or owners.

Age Factors↗

Single agent chemotherapy with doxorubicin for feline lymphoma: a retrospective study of 19 cases (1994-1997).

Medical records of 21 cats with confirmed lymphoma treated with single-agent doxorubicin were reviewed. Nineteen cats met the inclusion criteria for this retrospective study. Doxorubicin was given at a dosage of 25 mg/m2 (n = 8) or 1 mg/kg (n = 11) IV, every 3 weeks for a total of 5 treatments. Four of 16 tested cats were positive for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and all 16 cats tested negative for feline immunodeficiency virus. Eight of the 19 cats (42%) responded to doxorubicin for a median duration of 64 days (range, 35-575 days). Five cats (26%) achieved a complete response (CR) to doxorubicin for a median duration of 92 days (range, 54-575 days). Partial response was observed in 3 cats. Institution was the only significant prognostic indicator for response, with cats treated at Colorado State University being more likely to achieve CR than cats treated at Tufts University. Cats that achieved CR to doxorubicin and FeLV-negative cats had significantly longer survival times. Loss of appetite was the most common toxicity, observed in 9 cats (47%), and was severe in 5 cats (26%). Other toxicoses were less frequent and included vomiting, diarrhea, and myelosuppression. Doxorubicin was not very effective at inducing and maintaining remission in the cats in this study. Therefore, if doxorubicin is used for the treatment of feline lymphoma, it should be combined with other effective chemotherapeutic drugs in a combination protocol.

Animals↗

Prognosis for dogs with stage I or II splenic hemangiosarcoma treated by splenectomy alone: 32 cases (1991-1993).

A retrospective analysis was performed on the case records of 32 dogs with Stage I or II splenic hemangiosarcoma that were treated by splenectomy alone and that survived the seven-day postoperative period. Median survival time for these 32 cases was 86 days (mean, 116 days; range, 14 to 470 days), and the one-year survival rate was estimated to be 6.25%. Survival was not influenced by signalment, presenting signs, stage of disease, or clinicopathological findings. The data provides a basis from which to evaluate adjuvant chemotherapy for splenic hemangiosarcoma that is confined to the spleen macroscopically.

Animals↗

Prognosis for dogs with nonlymphomatous, small intestinal tumors treated by surgical excision.

Long-term follow-up information was obtained for 39 dogs that had undergone surgical excision of nonlymphomatous, small intestinal tumors. For all dogs evaluated in this study, the median survival time was 10 months, and the one- and two-year survival rates were 40.5% and 33.1%, respectively. There was no difference in survival times between dogs with adenocarcinomas (n=23) and dogs with leiomyosarcomas (n=16). Survival times were significantly (p less than 0.0001) shorter for dogs with histological evidence of metastases at the time of surgery (median, 3.0 months) than for dogs with no histiological evidence of metastases (median, 15.0 months).

Adenocarcinoma↗

Evaluation of a discontinuous treatment protocol (VELCAP-S) for canine lymphoma.

Eighty-two dogs with lymphoma received a single 15-week course of chemotherapy, after which treatment was ceased until relapse. Fifty-six dogs (68%) achieved complete remission for a median 1st remission duration of 20 weeks. Forty-eight dogs relapsed, of which 30 repeated the induction cycle. In 22 of these dogs, 1st remission had been short, and they received maintenance chemotherapy; the other 8 dogs received 2 or 3 cycles of induction chemotherapy. Second remission rate for these 30 dogs was 87% (26 dogs). Overall disease control for the 38 dogs that remained on protocol was 44 weeks, which was not markedly shorter than for dogs treated with a previously reported protocol in which maintenance chemotherapy was instituted in all dogs after an identical 1st induction (VELCAP-L). Dogs that were febrile and dogs that were dyspneic were less likely to achieve a complete remission to induction chemotherapy. Of dogs that achieved a complete remission, those that were thrombocytopenic at entry had a shorter 1st remission, and dogs that were anorexic at entry had shorter overall disease control. There was a correlation between 1st remission duration and length of any subsequent remission obtained. The incidence of toxicity was high, particularly after the combination of doxorubicin and vincristine. Dose reductions because of toxicity did not markedly reduce remission duration. We conclude that discontinuous chemotherapy may reduce patient visits in a small number of patients because of long-term disease control. Delaying maintenance chemotherapy until after 2nd remission is achieved does not markedly affect overall disease control.

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