Survival outcomes in canine nasal tumors treated with megavoltage radiation therapy with or without toceranib phosphate: a retrospective study of 279 cases.

Toceranib phosphate improves survival only in stage II canine nasal tumors with cribriform plate destruction.

This retrospective study evaluated 279 client-owned dogs with nasal tumors treated with megavoltage radiation therapy between 2015 and 2024, assessing whether adjunctive toceranib phosphate (a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor) improves survival outcomes. A simplified 2-tier CT-based staging system was applied: Stage I (no cribriform plate destruction) and Stage II (cribriform plate destruction present). Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed. Stage I dogs demonstrated significantly longer median survival times compared to Stage II (468 vs. 191 days), confirming cribriform plate status as a meaningful prognostic indicator. Toceranib phosphate was administered to 44 of 279 dogs. Overall, toceranib-treated dogs survived longer than untreated dogs (389 vs. 250 days). Stage-specific analysis revealed a critical finding: toceranib phosphate conferred no survival benefit in Stage I dogs but was significantly associated with prolonged survival in Stage II dogs with cribriform plate destruction. Multivariable analysis confirmed these stage-dependent effects. The study suggests that treatment decisions should be individualized based on CT staging, with radiation therapy alone being sufficient for Stage I disease, while combination therapy incorporating toceranib phosphate may be warranted for Stage II disease. Limitations include the retrospective design, potential selection bias in toceranib administration, and relatively small toceranib-treated subgroup. These findings support a precision oncology approach in managing canine nasal tumors and provide a practical framework for clinical decision-making.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.