Cementoplasty is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that involves injecting a bone substitute, such as a calcium phosphate cement, into a tumor lesion. This technique helps provide bone reinforcement and alleviate pain in dogs suffering from osteosarcoma, a common and aggressive form of bone cancer. A recent study examined the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of this approach for managing canine appendicular osteosarcoma.
Study involved 12 dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma
For the six-month period of the study, a dozen dogs were given cementoplasty with no additional adjuvant therapy. The researchers closely monitored the dogs, conducting clinical examinations, assessing postoperative complications, and evaluating radiographic findings, limb function, and pain scores.
Valuable findings despite high withdrawal rate
Unfortunately, ten of the 12 enrolled dogs were prematurely withdrawn from the study due to a deterioration in their overall condition. Despite this high withdrawal rate, the researchers were able to gather valuable data from the study. Nine dogs were followed until day 28, six until day 56, and two dogs completed the full 183-day study period. Interestingly, more than 50% of the dogs showed improvement in both veterinarian and owner-reported scores at their final visit, compared to the baseline measurements taken at the start of the study.
Complications unrelated to cementoplasty
The study also reported a total of ten major and four minor complications during the course of the study, all of which were unrelated to the cementoplasty procedure itself. This suggests the injection of calcium phosphate bone cement is a feasible and safe palliative treatment option, even in the face of the advanced stage of disease in these patients.
Potential benefits of cementoplasty
The researchers concluded that the cementoplasty procedure represents a promising palliative treatment for dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma, particularly when amputation is not possible or the owners refuse this more invasive surgical approach. The minimally invasive nature of cementoplasty allows for limb preservation, reduced risk of pathological fractures, and pain relief, even if the benefits were limited to the short term in this particular study.
Further research is needed
It is important to note that this study was an open, non-controlled trial, and further research is needed to obtain data on a larger number of patients. Additionally, future studies should investigate whether the cementoplasty procedure could have an impact on disease progression and overall survival in dogs with osteosarcoma. Nevertheless, the initial evidence suggests it may be a valuable addition to the arsenal of palliative treatments available to veterinarians managing this challenging disease.
