Acute and short-term toxicoses associated with the administration of doxorubicin to dogs with malignant tumors.
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).
Ogilvie
G K
GK
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523.
Richardson
R C
RC
Curtis
C R
CR
Withrow
S J
SJ
Reynolds
H A
HA
Norris
A M
AM
Henderson
R A
RA
Klausner
J S
JS
Fowler
J D
JD
McCaw
D
D
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
D004317:Doxorubicin