A NINE‐DAY ACCELERATED RADIATION PROTOCOL FOR FELINE SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

Abstract

Nine cats with oral squamous cell carcinoma were treated with an accelerated radiation protocol (14 fractions of 3.5 Gy in 9 days). Radiation was administered twice daily with a 6hour break between treatments. Median overall survival was 86 +/- 110 days. Median survival for cats with a partial response (n=6) was 60 +/- 7 days, while median survival for cats with a complete response (n=3) was 298 +/- 187 days (P = 0.0639). The accelerated protocol was well tolerated and toxicity in the early and late period was manageable in all cats. Further modification of the protocol is warranted to extend survival.