Abstract
Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) is routinely used for staging and monitoring of human cancer patients and is becoming increasingly available in veterinary medicine. In this study, 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18 FDG)-PET-CT was used in dogs with naturally occurring splenic hemangiosarcoma (HSA) to assess its utility as a staging and monitoring modality as compared to standard radiography and ultrasonography. Nine dogs with stage-2 HSA underwent18 FDG-PET-CT following splenectomy and prior to commencement of chemotherapy. Routine staging (thoracic radiography and abdominal ultrasonography) was performed prior to18 FDG-PET-CT in all dogs. When abnormalities not identified on routine tests were noted on18 FDG-PET-CT, owners were given the option to repeat a PET-CT following treatment with eBAT. A PET-CT scan was repeated on Day 21 in three dogs. Abnormalities not observed on conventional staging tools, and most consistent with malignant disease based on location, appearance, and outcome, were detected in two dogs and included a right atrial mass and a hepatic nodule, respectively. These lesions were larger and had higher metabolic activity on the second scans.18 FDG-PET-CT has potential to provide important prognostic information and influence treatment recommendations for dogs with stage-2 HSA. Additional studies will be needed to precisely define the value of this imaging tool for staging and therapy monitoring in dogs with this and other cancers.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | e0172651 |
Journal | PloS one |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2017 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2017 Borgatti et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.