Outcome following treatment of vertebral tumors in 20 dogs (1986-1995)

Twenty dogs with histopathologically confirmed primary (n=15) or metastatic (n=5) osteosarcoma (n=14) or fibrosarcoma (n=6) of the vertebral column we re treated with surgery (n=4), radiation therapy and chemotherapy (n=6), su rgery and chemotherapy (n=2), or surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy (n=8) , All dogs died due to their disease; 15 died due to local failure, and fiv e died due to nonvertebral metastasis, Overall median survival time was 135 days, with a range of 15 to 600 days. Of the factors evaluated, only posto perative neurological status had a significant influence on outcome by mult ivariate analysis. This study supports the overall guarded prognosis for do gs with vertebral neoplasia. Better combinations of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy remain to be defined for this difficult subset of ani mal cancer.