SBRT for Canine Lung Tumor Study

Primary pulmonary carcinomas in dogs are most commonly treated with surgery, which can result in survival times of approximately one year. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a highly precise form of radiation therapy that delivers high doses of radiation directly to a tumor while minimizing exposure to surrounding normal tissues. The purpose of this study is to evaluate dogs with primary pulmonary carcinoma treated using a standardized SBRT protocol across institutions participating in the Veterinary Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (VRTOG).

Inclusion Criteria

Dogs are eligible for enrollment if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Cytologic or histopathologic diagnosis of a single primary pulmonary carcinoma.
• Primary lung tumor measuring greater than 1 cm in its shortest diameter.
• No previous treatment for the lung tumor.
• No diagnosis of another malignant tumor outside the lungs within 30 days before enrollment.
• Complete blood count, serum biochemistry panel, and abdominal ultrasound performed within 30 days before enrollment.
• Considered an appropriate candidate for stereotactic radiation therapy by the attending veterinary oncologist or radiation oncologist.
• Dogs with a previous non-carcinoma malignancy may be enrolled if that tumor type is associated with an expected median survival time greater than one year and the dog is considered to be in clinical remission at enrollment.

Exclusion Criteria

Dogs will not be enrolled if any of the following are present:

• Multiple pulmonary nodules consistent with metastatic disease.
• Evidence of regional lymph node metastasis.
• Pulmonary carcinomatosis.
• Significant concurrent disease expected to limit survival to less than one year.
• Medical conditions that preclude safe anesthesia or radiation treatment.

Client Benefits

While your dog is enrolled in the study, the study will contribute up to $4,000 toward the costs of anesthesia, radiation treatment planning, and radiation therapy. Up to $1,000 may also be available for follow-up thoracic radiographs after treatment.

Owners are responsible for the costs of pre-enrollment bloodwork, CT imaging required for radiation planning, and confirmation of the tumor diagnosis.

Owners are also responsible for costs related to hospitalization if complications occur.

Sample or Data Requirements

If your dog participates in this study, they will receive SBRT while under general anesthesia.

Prior to radiation therapy, a CT scan will be performed to create the radiation treatment plan. Thoracic radiographs (chest X-rays) will also be obtained before treatment to establish a baseline. Follow-up radiographs will be performed approximately 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and then every 3 months to evaluate treatment response until your dog leaves the study.

Contact Information

For questions regarding the clinical trial, please email clinicaltrials@tufts.edu.