Doxorubicin chemotherapy for presumptive cardiac hemangiosarcoma in dogs†.

Sixty-four dogs were treated with single-agent doxorubicin ( DOX) for presumptive cardiac hemangiosarcoma ( cHSA). The objective response rate ( CR + PR) was 41%, and the biologic response rate ( CR + PR + SD), or clinical benefit, was 68%. The median progression-free survival ( PFS) for treated dogs was 66 days. The median survival time ( MST) for this group was 116 days and was significantly improved compared to a MST of 12 days for untreated control dogs ( P = 0.0001). Biologic response was significantly associated with improved PFS ( P < 0.0001) and OS ( P < 0.0001). Univariate analysis identified larger tumour size as a variable negatively associated with PFS. The high rate of clinical benefit and improved MST suggest that DOX has activity in canine cHSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]