title: Acute and short-term toxicoses associated with the administration of doxorubicin to dogs with malignant tumors.
abstract: One hundred eighty-five dogs with histologically confirmed, measurable malignant tumors were used in a study to determine the toxicity of the anthracycline antitumor antibiotic, doxorubicin, which was administered once or twice (at a 21-day interval) at the rate of 30 mg/m2 of body surface area, iv. During this study, 7 dogs died as a direct result of doxorubicin-induced toxicosis and 16 died as a direct result of the malignant neoplastic disease. Each dog was evaluated for signs of toxicosis for 3 weeks after the last dose was administered (15 dogs received 1 dose, 170 dogs received 2 doses) or until the dog died, whichever came first. The most common signs of toxicosis were vomiting, diarrhea, colitis, anorexia, and pruritus. The probability of doxorubicin-induced toxicosis decreased significantly (P less than 0.0001) in inverse relationship to body weight. Dogs with signs of toxicosis during the 21-day interval from administration of the first dose of doxorubicin were 17.2 times (P less than 0.01; 95% confidence interval; 5.5, 54.2) more likely to develop signs of toxicosis during the 21-day interval from the second dose of doxorubicin. The performance status of each dog was evaluated using a modified Karnofsky performance scheme; the only time the performance status was adversely affected to a significant extent by doxorubicin-induced toxicosis was during the 21-day period, starting with the second dose (P less than 0.0001).
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Ogilvie
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Withrow
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Klausner
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McCaw
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000855:Anorexia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004285:Dogs; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D004317:Doxorubicin