Clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of canine malignant mesothelioma: A retrospective study of 34 cases

Abstract

Canine malignant mesothelioma (CMM) is a rare and aggressive tumour associated with a poor prognosis. Limited information is available regarding effective treatment options and prognostic factors. The purpose of this retrospective case series was to describe the clinical presentation, treatment and survival in a cohort of dogs with this disease and to investigate possible prognostic factors. Thirty-four dogs were included. Tachypnoea and dyspnoea due to pleural effusion were the most common presenting clinical signs. Twenty-two dogs had a subcutaneous access port placed and 25 dogs were treated with intracavitary and/or intravenous chemotherapy. The main protocols used were single-agent 5-FU (n = 14) and carboplatin single-agent or alternated with mitoxantrone (n = 10). The overall response rate (defined as more than 25% reduction in effusion volume) to chemotherapy treatment was 37% after 3-weeks and 24% after 15-weeks. The median survival time (MST) for all dogs was 195 days (95% CI 53-324). MST was 234 days for dogs receiving chemotherapy and 29 days for dogs not receiving chemotherapy. The 1-year survival rate was 22% for all dogs. Treatment with chemotherapy was the only significant prognostic factor associated with survival (p = .001). Further studies are needed to determine the optimal treatment approach for malignant mesothelioma in dogs. Nevertheless, effusion recurrence should be expected and the prognosis for these patients in the long-term is poor.