Field Safety Experience With an Autologous Cancer Vaccine in 41 Horses: A Retrospective Study (2019-2021).

Autologous cancer vaccines (ACV) are an emerging option for adjuvant cancer treatment in veterinary medicine. With this form of active immunotherapy, the patient's tumor cells are processed ex vivo and returned to the patient with the goal of stimulating an immune response to unique, patient-specific antigens. The case accession database at Torigen was queried to identify horses that underwent biopsy or surgical resection of their primary tumor and received at least one subcutaneous dose of an adjuvanted whole-cell autologous cancer vaccine. The records were then reviewed for any reported adverse events (AE). Forty-one horses met the inclusion criteria and received 252 doses of Torigen's ACV (ACV-T). There were seven AEs reported in four horses, which were associated with 1.6% of the administered doses of the ACV-T. Of the reported AE, all were characterized as mild. The ACV-T appears to be well tolerated by horses, and may be useful as a treatment option for owners who are concerned about AEs that can occur with other types of adjuvant cancer therapy. Additional studies are warranted to evaluate the efficacy of this ACV in horses with solid tumors.

Evaluation of cisplatin administered with piroxicam in dogs with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antitumor activity and toxic effects of a conservative dose of cisplatin administered in combination with piroxicam to dogs with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder. DESIGN: Clinical trial (nonrandomized, noncontrolled). ANIMALS: 14 client-owned dogs with histologically confirmed TCC of the urinary bladder. PROCEDURES: Each dog was treated with cisplatin (50 mg/m(2), i.v., q 21 d [reduced to 40 mg/m(2), i.v., q 21 d because of toxic effects]) and piroxicam (0.3 mg/kg [0.14 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h). A CBC, serum biochemical analyses, and urinalysis were performed prior to each cisplatin treatment. Tumor staging (determined from thoracic and abdominal radiographic and urinary bladder ultrasonographic findings) was performed before treatment and at 6-week intervals during treatment. RESULTS: 5 dogs received only 1 dose of cisplatin because of the rapid progression of disease (n = 2) or toxic effects (3). With regard to the neoplastic disease among the other 9 dogs, 1 had partial remission, 5 had stable disease, and 3 had progressive disease after 6 weeks of treatment. Median progression-free interval was 78 days (range, 20 to 112 days). Median survival time was 307 days (range, 29 to 929 days). Moderate to severe renal toxicosis and moderate to severe gastrointestinal toxicosis developed in 5 and 8 dogs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Because of minimal efficacy and associated renal and gastrointestinal toxicosis, administration of cisplatin (40 to 50 mg/m(2)) with piroxicam cannot be recommended for treatment of dogs with TCC of the urinary bladder.

Phase II clinical trial of combination chemotherapy with dexamethasone for lymphoma in dogs.

Dogs with histologically confirmed lymphoma were treated with a 14-week induction chemotherapy protocol that included dexamethasone. A phase II clinical trial was done using a standard two-stage design. Complete remission occurred in 21 (88%) dogs, with a median initial progression-free interval of 186 days. Toxicity was mild and self-limiting in the majority of dogs.

Evaluation of the tensile strengths of four monofilament absorbable suture materials after immersion in canine urine with or without bacteria.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the tensile strength, elongation, and degradation of 4 monofilament absorbable suture materials that undergo degradation by hydrolysis in specimens of canine urine with various physical characteristics. SAMPLE POPULATION: 4 monofilament absorbable sutures (polydioxanone, poliglecaprone 25, polyglyconate, and glycomer 631). PROCEDURE: Voided urine was collected from 6 healthy dogs, pooled, filter-sterilized, and prepared to provide 5 media: sterile neutral (pH, 7.0), sterile acidic (pH, 6.2), sterile basic (pH, 8.8), Escherichia coli-inoculated, and Proteus mirabilis-inoculated urine. Ten strands of each suture material were immersed in each of the media for 0 to 28 days. Tensile strength and elongation of each suture material were evaluated by use of a texture analyzer on days 0, 1, 3, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28. RESULTS: Reduction in tensile strength was detected for all materials in all urine specimens over time. Polyglyconate and polydioxanone had superior tensile strengths in sterile neutral and E. coli-inoculated urine, and polydioxanone retained the greatest tensile strength throughout the study period. All suture materials disintegrated before day 7 in P. mirabilis-inoculated urine. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Polydioxanone, polyglyconate, and glycomer 631 may be acceptable for urinary bladder closure in the presence of sterile neutral and E. coli-contaminated urine. Tensile strength of poliglecaprone 25 in urine may be unacceptable by the critical healing time for bladder tissue (14 to 21 days). During bladder surgery, exposure of suture material that degrades via hydrolysis to urine containing Proteus spp should be minimized.