CSU Animal Cancer Center Clinical Trial

Patient Disease:
Appendicular osteosarcoma in dogs.

Study Name:
Impact of Palladia/Piroxicam/Cyclophosphamide maintenance therapy on the survival time of dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma following amputation and carboplatin chemotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:
Osteosarcoma is a common tumor of dogs. Current treatment options available for osteosarcoma include various combinations of surgery, chemotherapy drugs such as carboplatin or doxorubicin, or radiation therapy. Despite adjuvant chemotherapy given following limb amputation, greater than 90% of patients die of metastatic disease. Unfortunately, no significant changes in survival times have been achieved over the past 15 years despite modification of existing chemotherapy protocols.

Preliminary data suggest that in dogs with metastatic OSA, a combination of Palladia, piroxicam, and low-dose cyclophosphamide significantly prolongs survival beyond the median of 2 months previously reported for dogs with metastatic disease treated with chemotherapy, indicating that this triple drug regimen may have biologic activity against OSA. The purpose of this proposal is to perform a randomized clinical trial to determine the impact of Palladia/piroxicam/cyclophosphamide on the disease free interval and overall survival of dogs when administered following amputation and carboplatin chemotherapy.

Patient Entry Criteria:
Dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma treated with amputation are eligible for this study. Dogs must undergo some diagnostic testing prior to starting the study to ensure that they are eligible. They must have good function of liver and kidneys, have acceptable blood cell counts, and are free of metastasis or other severe underlying disease. Prior radiation therapy or chemotherapy for osteosarcoma is not allowed. A 72-hour washout period from steroid or NSAID therapy is required prior to enrollment.

Owner Responsibilities:
Owners are responsible for the cost of diagnosing and staging the dog's osteosarcoma prior to entering the study (approximately $500-1000) as well as the costs associated with amputation. The owner is expected to make and keep all appointments according to the study protocol and must be committed to completing the entire study protocol and follow-up examinations.

Financial Incentives:
Clients participating in this study will be given special financial considerations. Carboplatin will be provided at no cost to the owner. Once carboplatin therapy is completed, Palladia will be provided by the study and certain pre-determined financial incentives will be given at each recheck visit (up to a total of $650 throughout the course of the study).

If you have further questions about any of our clinical trials, please complete an online consult request form below or call or Oncology Clinical Coordinator at (970) 297-4068.