Staff surgeon/Director of IR Service Animal Medical Center new york, New York, United States
Abstract:
Background: Information regarding prognosis for conservatively managed hepatic tumors in dogs is limited.
Objectives: Objectives were to report prognosis and identify prognostic factors in dogs with conservatively managed hepatic tumors. Animals: Client-owned dogs (n = 49) with CT characterized hepatic tumors that did not pursue definitive therapy and were deceased at time of analysis.
Methods: Retrospective, single institutional study. Medical records from 2013-2023 were reviewed and data collected included date of diagnosis, sex, weight, bloodwork parameters, presenting complaints, tumor volumes, tumor characteristics, and date of death.
Results: Median survival time from date of diagnosis was 337 days (range, 2-1308). Dogs with a presenting complaint of weight loss (P = .02) had a significantly shorter median survival time (128 days) than those without weight loss (420 days). Dogs presenting with abdominal effusion (P = .03) had a significantly shorter median survival time (227 days) than dogs without effusion (331.5 days). Dogs with multiple hepatic masses (P = .004) had a significantly shorter median survival time (209.5 days) than dogs with a solitary mass (346 days). AST within 30 days of CT was associated with survival time (P = .02), as was HCT (P = .01). Tumor volume/body weight ratio was not statistically related to survival time (P = .8).
Conclusions: The clinical signs of weight loss, abdominal effusion, and presence of multiple hepatic masses, as well as AST and HCT values can be utilized to guide prognostication for dogs undergoing conservative management for hepatic tumors.
Learning Objectives:
Learners will be able to describe survival outcomes in dogs with CT-characterized hepatic tumors that did not receive definitive therapy.
Learners will be able to recognize clinical signs (e.g., weight loss, abdominal effusion, multiple hepatic masses) and laboratory values (e.g., AST, HCT) that are significantly associated with decreased survival in affected dogs.
Learners will be able to summarize the retrospective approach and methodology used to collect and analyze prognostic data from medical records of client-owned dogs with hepatic tumors.
