CANINE OSTEOSARCOMA - AMPUTATION AND CHEMOIMMUNOTHERAPY

Canine osteosarcoma is a highly metastatic cancer commonly seen in lar ge breed dogs. At the time of diagnosis, approximately 90% to 95% of t he dogs have established micrometastases. Dogs undergoing amputation a lone have a median survival time of 3 to 4 months. Amputation followed by cisplatin chemotherapy increases median survival times to 9 to 11 months. When dogs are treated with amputation and cisplatin, followed by immunotherapy (with liposome-encapsulated muramyl tripeptide phosph atidylethanolamine), median survival times increase to 14.4 months, th e longest reported median survival time for dogs with osteosarcoma tre ated by amputation and any form of adjuvant therapy.