ABSTRACT
Hemangiosarcoma is an aggressive tumour that most frequently occurs in larger, middle-aged dogs of certain breeds. The most commonly affected organ is the spleen. The aim of this prospective therapy trial was to evaluate the clinical effect of autologous, monocyte-derived dendritic cell (DC) therapy in canine hemangiosarcoma stage II after splenectomy. Dogs (n=452) diagnosed with splenic hemangiosarcoma that underwent splenectomy were enrolled. Of these, 42 dogs with stage II entered the DC therapy trial. The median survival time for the total group of 42 dogs was 203 days. The median survival for the group that received the full DC therapy (≥3 vaccines) was 256 days, with a 29% one-year survival rate and a hazard ratio of 0.30, adjusted to age and bodyweight (P =0.010). We further observed a significant increase in DC yield after each application and demonstrated that DC yield at the beginning of treatment is significantly related to veterinary patient survival. While further evidence is needed, we conclude that autologous, monocyte-derived DC therapy is a viable alternative to standard treatment of canine splenic hemangiosarcoma.
