Survival in dogs with nasal adenocarcinoma: 64 cases (1981-1995)

Case records of 64 dogs with nasal adenocarcinoma were reviewed. The effect s of age, gender, tumor stage, presence of metastatic lesions, and treatmen t method on survival lime were examined. Surgery groups included rhinotomy (n = 9), transnasal curettage (n = 29), and no surgery (n = 26). Chemothera py groups included fluorouracil-cyclophosphamide combination therapy (n = 1 5), mitoxantrone (n = 7), and no chemotherapy (n = 42). Fifty-three dogs re ceived fractionated cobalt 60 radiation therapy. Surgical procedure, chemot herapy group, and stage of primary tumor were not significantly associated with survival time (P > .05). Dogs that received radiation therapy had a si gnificantly longer median survival time (424 days) than dogs that did not ( 126 days) (P = .0001). The presence of either regional lymph node or pulmon ary metastasis was associated with significantly shorter median survival ti me (109 days) when compared to dogs without metastases (393 days) (P = .012 5). When only dogs that had received radiation therapy were considered, nei ther surgical treatment nor chemotherapy group was associated with signific ant changes in median survival time. An alternate staging system emphasizin g the presence or absence of metastases is proposed.